Work

Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the 7-item game addiction scale (GAS) among Chinese college students

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The 7-item Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS) has been used as a screening tool for addictive game use worldwide, and this study aimed to examine its psychometric properties and measurement invariance among college students in China. METHODS: Full-time students from multiple colleges in China were recruited. A total of 1040 completed questionnaires were used in the final analysis. Reliability of the GAS was assessed by internal consistency and split-half reliability. Validity of the GAS was assessed by structural validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and concurrent validity. A series of Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MG-CFA) were conducted to test and establish measurement invariance across gender, class standing, family income and parental educational level. RESULTS: /df = 0.877 (p < 0.05), CFI = 0.999, TIL = 0.996, RMSEA =0.000). Concurrent validity of the GAS was confirmed by its correlation with problematic internet use, sleep quality, nine dimensions of psychiatric symptoms, and substance use. The GAS also demonstrated measurement invariance across father's educational level (Δχ2 (df) = 19.128 (12), ΔCFI = - 0.009, ΔRMSEA = 0.010 for weak factorial model; Δχ2 (df) = 50.109 (42), ΔCFI = - 0.010, ΔRMSEA = 0.007 for strict factorial model.) and mother's educational level (Δχ2 (df) = 6.679 (12), ΔCFI = 0.007, ΔRMSEA = - 0.010 for weak factorial model; Δχ2 (df) =49.131 (42), ΔCFI = - 0.009, ΔRMSEA = - 0.004 for strict factorial model), as well as partial measurement invariance across gender (except for item 2), class standing (except for item 7) and family income (except for item 5). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the 7-item GAS can be an adequate assessment tool to assess internet gaming disorder among the college student population in China.

Source: BMC Psychiatry

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02830-7

Authors: Yujie Liu, Qian Wang, Min Jou, Baohong Wang, Yang An, Zifan Li

Institutions: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Taiwan Normal University, Fudan University

Language: English

Topic: Impact of Technology on Adolescents

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,380