Development and Validation of the Trolling Emotional Action and Response Scale (TEARS)

Abstract

The aim of this scale was to understand the emotional effects of trolling on internet users, as well as coping strategies. Pilot testing was conducted with 26 students and one expert who is a professor of public health and psychiatry. The results of the pilot were used to develop the 22-item scale. Data were collected from 347 participants via social media platforms and analysed using SPSS. The Toronto empathy scale was used as a validity index. Three sub-scales were developed: emotional experience of trolled targets, emotional experience of bystanders, and action of bystanders. Reliability among the five items of the emotional experience of trolled targets sub-scale was 0.779, among the three items of the emotional experience of bystanders sub-scale was 0.678, and among the two item of the action of bystanders sub-scale was 0.594. The Toronto empathy scale was significantly correlated with each of the three sub-scales.