MUMBAI, India, Sept. 22 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202611093000 A) filed by Graphic Era Deemed To Be University on July 31, 2026, for A Psychometric Scale And Method For Assessing Uses And Gratifications-Based Social Media Dependency.
Inventors include Dr. Yashpal Singh; and Saurav Uniyal.
The application for the patent was published on September 18, 2026, under issue no. 38/2026.
Abstract: ABSTRACT A PSYCHOMETRIC SCALE AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING USES AND GRATIFICATIONS-BASED SOCIAL MEDIA DEPENDENCY The invention relates to psychometric assessment and digital behavior analysis, and provides a Social Media Dependency Scale founded on Uses and Gratifications Theory for evaluating purposive social media reliance. The tool and method advance existing assessment approaches by measuring distinct motivational pathways of dependency through four constructs, Knowledge Exploration, Emotional Stimulation, Identity Validation, and Derealism, rather than treating dependency as a unitary phenomenon. Items are construct-specific and are developed through expert review, content validity assessment, test-retest reliability assessment, and norm finalization. A scoring component generates both an overall dependency assessment and construct-level scores from response data, enabling multidimensional interpretation of behavioral, cognitive, affective, and experiential manifestations of reliance on social media. The invention is principally useful in psychological assessment, research, and public guidance concerning patterns and degree of social media dependency.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
