Fear of Missing out and its Relationship to Executive Functions among University Students

Abstract

Although fear of missing out (FoMO) has attracted a lot of attention recently, little is known about its relationships to gender and executive function (EF). The aim of this research was to investigate the level and gender differences in FoMO and EF, and the correlation between FoMO and EF. 265 undergraduate students (M_age= 20.35 years; SD=.74) completed the 10-item FoMO scale and The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. The results showed that the level of the total score for the FoMO scale was moderate, the level of the total score for the EF battery was low, and the level of the sub-dimensions: planning, working memory, inhibition, emotional control, initiation, and organizing things was also low, while the level of the sub-dimensions: shifting, self-monitoring, and task-monitoring was high. The research also showed that there were no gender differences in experiencing FoMO, in the total score of the EF and in sub-dimensions: planning, inhibition, initiation, self-monitoring, task-monitoring and organizing things. The differences were in the sub-dimensions:  working memory and emotional control between the average scores of males and females for females, and the differences in the shift for males.  We also found no significant correlation between FoMO and the functions of inhibition, shifting, emotional control, self-monitoring, task-monitoring, and the total score, but the correlation between FoMO and the EF of planning, working memory, initiation, and organizing things was statistically significant. Such data contribute to the field by outlining the level and gender differences in FoMO and in EF and their correlation as well as by providing useful information for clinical practice to develop targeted interventions and prevention programs.