Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study

The use of social media has frequently been misunderstood. Scholars worldwide have attempted to investigate patterns in social media use, with several attempts to frame it as a problematic behavior linked to negative consequences. However, among the different attempts, SME-Q has focused on the use p...

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Main Authors: Mirko Duradoni, Federico Innocenti, Alan D. A. Mattiassi, Andrea Guazzini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-01-01
Series:Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/2363112
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author Mirko Duradoni
Federico Innocenti
Alan D. A. Mattiassi
Andrea Guazzini
author_facet Mirko Duradoni
Federico Innocenti
Alan D. A. Mattiassi
Andrea Guazzini
author_sort Mirko Duradoni
collection DOAJ
description The use of social media has frequently been misunderstood. Scholars worldwide have attempted to investigate patterns in social media use, with several attempts to frame it as a problematic behavior linked to negative consequences. However, among the different attempts, SME-Q has focused on the use per se during critical moments of the day, i.e., around bedtime and during meals. While the use of social media is a behavior adopted by a huge percentage of the population, several differences among countries can be detected that may lead to a different scale dimensionality. As such, in this paper, we translate and validate the Italian version of the SME-Q in order to provide a tool to explore social media use among the Italian population. The study involved 520 people through the compilation of an online survey aimed at investigating psychological and behavioral variables related to social media use which also included three attention checks to control for response biases due to inattention. The study outline, data collection, and analysis plans were preregistered and deposited on the project’s website on the Open Science Framework. The results indicated a novel two-factor structure of the four-item scale with adequate values, revolving around a sleep time factor and a meal factor. The hypothesized relationships with the external validation variables have been confirmed. The successfully validated Italian SME-Q thus allows the exploration of social media engagement with the Italian-speaking population.
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spelling doaj-art-3b403c9fdc054b66989a2ff8fabcfa172025-08-20T03:55:36ZengWileyHuman Behavior and Emerging Technologies2578-18632023-01-01202310.1155/2023/2363112Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered StudyMirko Duradoni0Federico Innocenti1Alan D. A. Mattiassi2Andrea Guazzini3Department of EducationDepartment of EducationDepartment of EducationDepartment of EducationThe use of social media has frequently been misunderstood. Scholars worldwide have attempted to investigate patterns in social media use, with several attempts to frame it as a problematic behavior linked to negative consequences. However, among the different attempts, SME-Q has focused on the use per se during critical moments of the day, i.e., around bedtime and during meals. While the use of social media is a behavior adopted by a huge percentage of the population, several differences among countries can be detected that may lead to a different scale dimensionality. As such, in this paper, we translate and validate the Italian version of the SME-Q in order to provide a tool to explore social media use among the Italian population. The study involved 520 people through the compilation of an online survey aimed at investigating psychological and behavioral variables related to social media use which also included three attention checks to control for response biases due to inattention. The study outline, data collection, and analysis plans were preregistered and deposited on the project’s website on the Open Science Framework. The results indicated a novel two-factor structure of the four-item scale with adequate values, revolving around a sleep time factor and a meal factor. The hypothesized relationships with the external validation variables have been confirmed. The successfully validated Italian SME-Q thus allows the exploration of social media engagement with the Italian-speaking population.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/2363112
spellingShingle Mirko Duradoni
Federico Innocenti
Alan D. A. Mattiassi
Andrea Guazzini
Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study
Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies
title Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study
title_full Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study
title_fullStr Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study
title_full_unstemmed Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study
title_short Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study
title_sort italian validation of the social media engagement questionnaire sme q a preregistered study
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/2363112
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