Psychometric validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder-20 Test among Chinese middle school and university students

Abstract

Background and aims: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was proposed in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of American Psychiatric Association as an area warranting more research attention. High prevalence of excessive Internet game use and related addictions has been reported in China, especially among youth; however, there is a lack of psychometrically and theoretically sound instruments for assessing IGD in the Chinese language. Methods: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGD-20 Test) among Chinese middle school (n = 569; M age = 13.34; 46.2% females) and university students (n = 523; M age = 20.12; 48.4% females) samples in Beijing, China. All participants voluntarily completed an anonymous questionnaire. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that the Chinese version of the IGD-20 Test had five factors (i.e., salience-tolerance, mood modification, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse). Measurement invariance was confirmed across the two samples. The test score was positively associated with the modified Young's Internet Addiction Test for gaming addiction. Concurrent validation was further demonstrated by the IGD-20 Test's positive correlation with weekly gameplay and depression symptoms. The latent profile analysis showed four different gamer classes (i.e., regular gamers, low-risk engaged gamers, high-risk engaged gamers, and probable disordered gamers), with the estimated prevalence of 2.1% of the last group. Discussion and conclusion: The IGD-20 Test was applicable to Chinese youth and its Chinese version generally demonstrated good psychometric properties.

The Predictive Value of Emotional Intelligence for Internet Gaming Disorder: A 1-Year Longitudinal Study

“…Our Hypothesis 4 that depression was positively associated with IGD was also supported. Recent studies have consistently demonstrated that depression and other mental distress not only have high comorbidity with IGD, but they are also positively correlated with and/or predict IGD symptoms [4,44,72,73,74,75]. Multiple mechanisms, such as need frustration, the impulse to modify mood, and escape motive from reality, may underlie why depression would predict IGD [76,77,78,79].…”

The link between problematic internet use, problematic gaming, and psychological distress: does sleep quality matter?

“…Several studies examining problematic gaming among university students in Macao and Hong Kong reported varied prevalence, ranging from 14.8% among respondents in Macao to 25.7% among respondents in Hong Kong [ 14 , 15 ]. The prevalence of problematic gaming also varied from 2.1% among college students in Beijing to 7.41% among college students in Luzhou, Sichuan [ 16 , 17 ]. The varied prevalence rate could be attributed to differences in methodologies or instruments utilized in measuring problematic gaming, or a lack of well-designed studies testing measurement invariance of the same instrument [ 18 ].…”

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

“…Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the scale had a unidimensional structure [9], with a Cronbach's alpha value ranging from 0.85 [9] to 0.92 [10]. Although the GAS has been used to examine prevalence and correlates of IGD among adolescents and young adults in China [3,13,14], no study has focused on its psychometric properties in this population. Understanding and evaluating psychometric properties of the GAS in this population is an essential aspect of scale selection, it may enhance applicability of the scale and accuracy of the scale in identifying at-risk populations.…”

“…A study examining health-related behaviors among middle school, high school and college students in China found screen time increased as educational level increased [20]. A recent study examining both high school and college students in China found college students scored higher on the IGD-20 Test [13].…”