Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.

The global prevalence of internet addiction is escalating annually and uncontrollable use of the internet can cause significant physical and psychological damage. Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), widely utilized across diverse cultures, has demonstrated structural inconsistencies in previ...

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Main Authors: Zhixia Wei, Norlizah Che Hassan, Siti Aishah Hassan, Normala Ismail, Xiaoxia Gu, Jingyi Dong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320641
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author Zhixia Wei
Norlizah Che Hassan
Siti Aishah Hassan
Normala Ismail
Xiaoxia Gu
Jingyi Dong
author_facet Zhixia Wei
Norlizah Che Hassan
Siti Aishah Hassan
Normala Ismail
Xiaoxia Gu
Jingyi Dong
author_sort Zhixia Wei
collection DOAJ
description The global prevalence of internet addiction is escalating annually and uncontrollable use of the internet can cause significant physical and psychological damage. Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), widely utilized across diverse cultures, has demonstrated structural inconsistencies in previous research, with some items requiring refinement. This study aimed to validate the IAT among Chinese undergraduate students and assess its psychometric properties. The IAT's structure was initially explored through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using pilot study data (n=376), with internal consistency and test-retest reliability (n=96) evaluated. Subsequently, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted using data from the actual study (n=1042) to confirm the structure. Results showed that a three-factor solution explained 61.29% of the total variance with a satisfactory model fit (χ2/df = 4.382, RMSEA = 0.057, CFI = 0.952, TLI = 0.943, SRMR = 0.045, AIC = 798.755) and psychometric properties, validating the IAT's utility for future investigations of internet addiction in Chinese undergraduates. Notably, a high prevalence of moderate internet addiction was observed within the sample, highlighting the significance of this issue in the target population and emphasizing the need for further research and potential interventions.
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spelling doaj-art-ec557a24767540b09d1d665aa0a482802025-08-20T02:28:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01204e032064110.1371/journal.pone.0320641Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.Zhixia WeiNorlizah Che HassanSiti Aishah HassanNormala IsmailXiaoxia GuJingyi DongThe global prevalence of internet addiction is escalating annually and uncontrollable use of the internet can cause significant physical and psychological damage. Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), widely utilized across diverse cultures, has demonstrated structural inconsistencies in previous research, with some items requiring refinement. This study aimed to validate the IAT among Chinese undergraduate students and assess its psychometric properties. The IAT's structure was initially explored through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using pilot study data (n=376), with internal consistency and test-retest reliability (n=96) evaluated. Subsequently, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted using data from the actual study (n=1042) to confirm the structure. Results showed that a three-factor solution explained 61.29% of the total variance with a satisfactory model fit (χ2/df = 4.382, RMSEA = 0.057, CFI = 0.952, TLI = 0.943, SRMR = 0.045, AIC = 798.755) and psychometric properties, validating the IAT's utility for future investigations of internet addiction in Chinese undergraduates. Notably, a high prevalence of moderate internet addiction was observed within the sample, highlighting the significance of this issue in the target population and emphasizing the need for further research and potential interventions.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320641
spellingShingle Zhixia Wei
Norlizah Che Hassan
Siti Aishah Hassan
Normala Ismail
Xiaoxia Gu
Jingyi Dong
Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.
PLoS ONE
title Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.
title_full Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.
title_fullStr Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.
title_full_unstemmed Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.
title_short Psychometric validation of Young's Internet Addiction Test among Chinese undergraduate students.
title_sort psychometric validation of young s internet addiction test among chinese undergraduate students
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320641
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