Nomophobia and the Values Recognized by Physical Education Students

Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to determine the level of nomophobia and to find out the values recognized by first-year students
of the Faculty of Physical Education.
Method: The study, conducted in 2024, involved 171 students of a sports college. The study group consisted of 116 men and
55 women, and the average age of the study subjects was 19.95±1.58 years. To collect empirical material, two standardized
tools, the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) by C. Yildirim and A. Correia adapted by M.W. Czerski (2021) and Scheler’s
Hierarchy of Values adapted by P. Brzozowski (1995), were used.
Results: The study participants have shown varying levels of nomophobia, but no significant differences in the level of
nomophobia were observed between female and male students (χ2= 5.64; P= .06; Vc= .18). The highest percentage of women
and men were in the moderate and low range groups. However, significantly greater test scores were obtained by women
in the NMP-Q (F1,167= 6.05; P= .015; ƞ2= .035). No significant differences were found between athletes and non-athletes in
the four analyzed nomophobia factors (F1,167 = .13; P= .72; ƞ2 < .001). The highest ranked value in the students surveyed is
physical fitness and strength, while holy values and religious sanctities are the least important.
Conclusions: Separation anxiety in relation to the smartphone does not affect most of the students surveyed. Gender
differentiates the severity of nomophobia (results of scores). Cultivation of values related to physical culture is characteristic
of the studied group. Participation in sports does not differentiate the results in terms of the values recognized by female
and male physical education students.