A Test of the Mobile Phone Appropriation Model

This study tested the generalizability of the mobile phone appropriation model to the United States with the aim of enhancing theorization about mobile communication. Associations between the theoretical constructs in the model were examined with structural equation modeling and mediation analyses. Meta-communication was associated with all four dimensions of behavioral evaluations (i.e., functional, symbolic, normative, and restrictive). Some behavioral evaluations were associated with mobile phones’ usage patterns (i.e., functional and symbolic), with normative evaluations emerging as an important predictor of all usage aspects. These results shed light on the MPA theoretical framework, its parsimony, and potential revisions needed.