Electrodermal activity response to smartphone deprivation: a physiology laboratory-based study of nomophobia in undergraduate dental students

Nomophobia, defined as the fear of being without access to a smartphone, is increasingly prevalent among students and has been associated with increased anxiety, and reduced psychological well-being. Although most studies rely on self-reported measures, objective physiological correlates of nomophobia remain insufficiently explored. Electrodermal activity (EDA), a sensitive marker of sympathetic nervous system activation, may provide insight into the autonomic responses associated with smartphone deprivation. Therefore, this study investigated changes in EDA during smartphone deprivation and examined their relationship with nomophobia severity among undergraduate dental students. This laboratory-based experimental study included 110 undergraduate dental students. Nomophobia severity was assessed using the validated Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). Participants underwent three sequential phases: baseline (phone access), smartphone deprivation, and re-access. Electrodermal activity, heart rate, and respiratory rate were continuously recorded using a PowerLab 26T system. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 27.0. Mean EDA increased from baseline (0.02 µS) to smartphone deprivation (2.87 µS) and remained elevated during re-access (1.80 µS). Electrodermal activity increased significantly during smartphone deprivation compared with baseline ( p < 0.001). ΔEDA differed significantly across nomophobia severity groups, with higher responses observed in participants with severe nomophobia ( p < 0.001). A moderate positive correlation was found between ΔEDA and NMP-Q scores (ρ = 0.44, p < 0.001). Heart rate showed modest but statistically significant changes across experimental phases, whereas respiratory rate remained unchanged. This study suggests that smartphone deprivation is associated with increased sympathetic activation, as reflected by elevated electrodermal activity, particularly among individuals with higher nomophobia severity. The findings support an association between higher nomophobia scores and greater physiological activation during smartphone deprivation and highlight the value of EDA as an objective measure of autonomic responses. Future studies incorporating subjective psychological measures and additional physiological markers are needed to further characterize the relationship between nomophobia and autonomic activation.