Effects of Mobile Identity on Smartphone Symbolic Use: An Attachment Theory Perspective

Jie Lou (), Nianlong Han, Dong Wang and Xi Pei
Additional contact information
Jie Lou: Department of International Business, School of Foreign Languages and Business, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Av. Liuxian, Shenzhen 518055, China
Nianlong Han: School of Geography and Tourism, Huizhou University, Huizhou 516007, China
Dong Wang: Department of International Business, School of Foreign Languages and Business, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Av. Liuxian, Shenzhen 518055, China
Xi Pei: Department of International Business, School of Foreign Languages and Business, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Av. Liuxian, Shenzhen 518055, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: Smartphones are not only multifunctional tools but also users’ personal extensions and identity symbols, as they are constantly with users and highly visible to the public while in use. Due to this public property as well as the close bond between smartphones and users, they are frequently used for personal identity expression besides functional purposes. The current study conceptualizes such behavior as symbolic use and aims to understand it. Anchoring on the attachment theory, mobile identity is postulated as an important antecedent of symbolic use. Mobile identity in turn is formed by mobile symbolism and mobile design esthetics. The research model was tested by a hybrid of both online and offline survey with 271 valid responses. SEM analysis was used to test the research model and SPSS was used for descriptive statistics. The results confirmed the role of mobile identity in affecting smartphone symbolic use. Additionally, individual materialism was confirmed as a moderator using hierarchical analysis. By defining and explaining smartphone symbolic use, this study clarifies the unique characteristics of the smartphone usage context as compared to non-portable technologies, thereby enriching the mobile usage literature and the application of attachment theory. It also defines the boundary condition of attachment formation by studying the contingent role of individual characteristics.

Keywords: smartphone; mobile technology; symbolic use; attachment theory; identity; mental health; self-concordance model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/21/14036/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/21/14036/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:21:p:14036-:d:955927

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().