Psychological Development and Education ›› 2021, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (3): 344-352.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2021.03.05

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FOMO's Influence on Prosocial Behavior

XIA Xiaotong1, Duan Jinyun2, Huang Xinyin1   

  1. 1. Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000;
    2. The School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062
  • Published:2021-05-18

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Abstract: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) refers to the pervasive apprehension due to worries that others might be experiencing fantastic stories or positive events from which one is absent. Prosocial behavior not only benefits the recipient, but also promotes the harmonious relationship between the helper and recipient or society. The fear of missing out has been improved compared to the past in the process of the rapid development of internet social media. Therefore, in the context of the increasingly rich social media information, the present study explored the impact of the fear of missing out on prosocial behavior, and pays attention to the mechanism of interpersonal security and basic psychological need satisfaction. The present study supplied the experimental method of the fear of missing out and expanded the scope of research on prosocial behavior. In this context,the present study combined a questionnaire survey (study 1) and an experimental design (study 2) to investigate the effect of the FOMO on prosocial behavior, and also examined the mediation role of interpersonal security and the moderation role of basic psychological need satisfaction. A sample of 182 (male=88, 48.4%) Chinese college students participated in study 1, they were asked to complete a questionnaire measuring the FOMO, prosocial behavior, interpersonal security and basic psychological need satisfaction. Using an experimental, study 2 manipulated the FOMO with hypothetical scenarios. A total of 80 Chinese college students (male=40, 50%) were randomly divided into two groups(FOMO vs. control) to read the scenarios about the fear of missing out or control condition, and to completed questionnaire about interpersonal security and basic psychological need satisfaction, then they finished two items to evaluate their prosocial behavior. Date were collected andanalyzed with SPSS 20.0, and bootstrap method was used to examine the mediating roles of interpersonal security and the moderating roles of basic psychological need satisfaction between the fear of missing out and prosocial behavior. The results of study 1 and study 2 indicated that the fear of missing out significantly and negatively predicted prosocial behavior. Moreover, the interpersonal security significantly mediated the negative relationship between prosocial behavior and the fear of missing out. In addition, the basic psychological need satisfaction significantly moderated the negative relationship between prosocial behavior and the fear of missing out. Specifically, compared with those in high-basic psychological need satisfaction, the fear of missing out would more strongly predict prosocial behavior in the low-basic psychological need satisfaction. In sum, these findings highlight the mechanism underlying the relationship between the fear of missing out and prosocial behavior. The fear of missing out negatively predicts prosocial behavior through mediating roles of interpersonal security and the basic psychological need satisfaction moderate such relationship. The present study gives some suggestions on dealing with the fear of missing out and improving prosocial behavior in the real world. Individuals and society should seek or provide measures to increase the individual's basic psychological need satisfaction to prevent the negative effects of the fear of missing out on prosocial behavior from being exacerbated.

Key words: fear of missing out, prosocial behavior, interpersonal security, basic psychological need satisfaction

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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