Validity and Psychometric Properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale in Three Large Independent Samples of Children and Adolescents
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Validity and Psychometric Properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale in Three Large Independent Samples of Children and Adolescents. / Paschke, Kerstin; Sack, Peter-Michael; Thomasius, Rainer.
In: INT J ENV RES PUB HE, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1095, 26.01.2021.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Validity and Psychometric Properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale in Three Large Independent Samples of Children and Adolescents
AU - Paschke, Kerstin
AU - Sack, Peter-Michael
AU - Thomasius, Rainer
PY - 2021/1/26
Y1 - 2021/1/26
N2 - BACKGROUND: Problematic gaming has become a major health issue in children and adolescents resulting in the need for targeted valid and reliable screening instruments. This study aimed to explore the psychometric properties and criterion validity of the widely used 9-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS) in young gamers.METHODS: Three independent samples were drawn from socio-demographically representative cross-sectional telephone surveys collected in the years 2016 (N = 762), 2017 (N = 777), and 2018 (N = 784) and analyzed separately.RESULTS: The IGDS revealed psychometric properties suitable for screening in large samples. Cronbach's alpha was 0.563, 0.724, and 0.778. The unidimensionality assumption was challenged. At-risk and pathological gamers compared to normal gamers reported longer digital media use and more emotional symptoms and hyperactivity/inattention with clinical relevance to medium effect sizes. The comparison of at-risk and pathological gamers indicated a partial distinction between the two problematic gaming groups.CONCLUSIONS: The IGDS could be shown to be an overall suitable and valid tool to identify pathological gamers in childhood and adolescence according to the DSM-5 criteria on a population level. However, the polythetic structure limits comparability with the recent ICD-11 criteria. At-risk gamers appeared as a heterogeneous group warranting more research.
AB - BACKGROUND: Problematic gaming has become a major health issue in children and adolescents resulting in the need for targeted valid and reliable screening instruments. This study aimed to explore the psychometric properties and criterion validity of the widely used 9-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS) in young gamers.METHODS: Three independent samples were drawn from socio-demographically representative cross-sectional telephone surveys collected in the years 2016 (N = 762), 2017 (N = 777), and 2018 (N = 784) and analyzed separately.RESULTS: The IGDS revealed psychometric properties suitable for screening in large samples. Cronbach's alpha was 0.563, 0.724, and 0.778. The unidimensionality assumption was challenged. At-risk and pathological gamers compared to normal gamers reported longer digital media use and more emotional symptoms and hyperactivity/inattention with clinical relevance to medium effect sizes. The comparison of at-risk and pathological gamers indicated a partial distinction between the two problematic gaming groups.CONCLUSIONS: The IGDS could be shown to be an overall suitable and valid tool to identify pathological gamers in childhood and adolescence according to the DSM-5 criteria on a population level. However, the polythetic structure limits comparability with the recent ICD-11 criteria. At-risk gamers appeared as a heterogeneous group warranting more research.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Behavior, Addictive/diagnosis
KW - Child
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Factor Analysis, Statistical
KW - Humans
KW - Internet
KW - Internet Addiction Disorder
KW - Psychometrics
KW - Reproducibility of Results
KW - Video Games
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph18031095
DO - 10.3390/ijerph18031095
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 33530635
VL - 18
JO - INT J ENV RES PUB HE
JF - INT J ENV RES PUB HE
SN - 1660-4601
IS - 3
M1 - 1095
ER -