Abstract
BackgroundThe Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is the most widely used questionnaire to screen for problematic Internet use. Nevertheless, its factorial structure is still debated, which complicates comparisons among existing studies. Most previous studies were performed with students or community samples despite the probability of there being more problematic Internet use among users of specific applications, such as online gaming or gambling.ObjectiveTo assess the factorial structure of a modified version of the IAT that addresses specific applications, such as video games and online poker.MethodsTwo adult samples—one sample of Internet gamers (n=920) and one sample of online poker players (n=214)—were recruited and completed an online version of the modified IAT. Both samples were split into two subsamples. Two principal component analyses (PCAs) followed by two confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were run separately.ResultsThe results of principal component analysis indicated that a one-factor model fit the data well across both samples. In consideration of the weakness of some IAT items, a 17-item modified version of the IAT was proposed.ConclusionsThis study assessed, for the first time, the factorial structure of a modified version of an Internet-administered IAT on a sample of Internet gamers and a sample of online poker players. The scale seems appropriate for the assessment of such online behaviors. Further studies on the modified 17-item IAT version are needed.
Highlights
As the main medium of modern life, the Internet is used in a wide range of human activities
In order to evaluate the stability of the principal component analysis World of Warcraft (WoW) (PCA), a bootstrap technique [64] was performed first with the minimum average partial (MAP) test, which confirmed the one-factor solution—among the 1000 bootstrap samples, 60.10% (601) and 84.60% (846) suggested retaining one factor in the poker and in the WoW subsamples, respectively
The bootstrap was applied to factor loadings of the PCA
Summary
As the main medium of modern life, the Internet is used in a wide range of human activities. This expansion has numerous benefits, including its use for social, psychological, and medical purposes, as shown by a wide range of studies on eHealth [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. Several studies proposed incorporating Internet addiction as a new diagnosis into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) [16,17]. The validity of the Internet addiction construct is challenged by both theoretical and empirical concerns. Most previous studies were performed with students or community samples despite the probability of there being more problematic Internet use among users of specific applications, such as online gaming or gambling
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