Development and validation of Problematic Mukbang Watching Scale and Mukbang Watching Motives Scale: A cross-sectional study with adult mukbang watchers

Abstract

Growing empirical evidence suggests that an emerging online activity (i.e., mukbang watching) may be associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes. However, a large gap in the psychology of mukbang watching still remains. Based on the extant literature, the present study developed and validated psychometric instruments to assess problematic (e.g., addictive) mukbang watching (PMW) and mukbang watching motivations. An online survey was administered to 604 adults (51% female; Mage=24.29 years; SD=6.25) who were mukbang watchers. Construct validity and convergent validity analyses indicated the Problematic Mukbang Watching Scale (PMWS) comprising three factors (i.e., denial, compulsion, and loss of control) and the Mukbang Watching Motives Scale (MWMS) comprising six factors (i.e., entertainment, sexual reasons, compensation, discovery, groupie reasons, and escape) had robust psychometric properties. Furthermore, PMW was positively associated with sexual, compensation, and escape motives for mukbang watching while controlling for daily time spent watching mukbang, daily number of different mukbang videos watched, and the total number of different mukbangers (i.e., the individuals in the broadcasts) regularly followed. Consequently, the present study contributes to the extant knowledge on the psychology of mukbang watching with two newly developed psychometrically robust assessment tools that can be used in future research.

Keywords

• Mukbang
• Mukbang watching motives
• Mukbang addiction
• Problematic mukbang watching
• Food addiction