Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement Perspective

As Greek Cypriot senior high school teachers, the researchers believe that instruments assessing Internet addiction should be developed and validated for use wherever there are adolescents (the most at-risk population) and Internet access. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric pr...

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Main Authors: Panayiotis Panayides, Miranda Jane Walker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology 2012-08-01
Series:Europe's Journal of Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/474
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author Panayiotis Panayides
Miranda Jane Walker
author_facet Panayiotis Panayides
Miranda Jane Walker
author_sort Panayiotis Panayides
collection DOAJ
description As Greek Cypriot senior high school teachers, the researchers believe that instruments assessing Internet addiction should be developed and validated for use wherever there are adolescents (the most at-risk population) and Internet access. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). A sample of 604 randomly selected high school students from five high schools in Limassol, Cyprus participated in the study. The Rasch Rating Scale Model was used for the analyses of the data collected. Results suggested the modification of the IAT in two ways. First, the 5-point rating scale was replaced by a 3-point scale, which was found to be optimal in the pilot study. Second, item 8 was replaced by a self-rating item because it was found to be identical to item 6 both statistically and semantically. The respondents’ reliability was satisfactory (0.86) and item reliability very high (0.99). All 20 items were sufficiently spread out and describe distinct levels along the variable and do define a linear continuum of increasing difficulty. All the evidence collected supports the unidimensionality and the high degree of construct validity of the scale. Finally four recommendations for the modification of the scale and future research are proposed.
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spelling doaj.art-ed514102a2fe411181192b4c070b862e2023-01-03T00:15:56ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyEurope's Journal of Psychology1841-04132012-08-018332735110.5964/ejop.v8i3.474ejop.v8i3.474Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement PerspectivePanayiotis Panayides0Miranda Jane Walker1Lyceum of Polemidia, Limassol, CyprusLyceum of Polemidia, Limassol, CyprusAs Greek Cypriot senior high school teachers, the researchers believe that instruments assessing Internet addiction should be developed and validated for use wherever there are adolescents (the most at-risk population) and Internet access. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). A sample of 604 randomly selected high school students from five high schools in Limassol, Cyprus participated in the study. The Rasch Rating Scale Model was used for the analyses of the data collected. Results suggested the modification of the IAT in two ways. First, the 5-point rating scale was replaced by a 3-point scale, which was found to be optimal in the pilot study. Second, item 8 was replaced by a self-rating item because it was found to be identical to item 6 both statistically and semantically. The respondents’ reliability was satisfactory (0.86) and item reliability very high (0.99). All 20 items were sufficiently spread out and describe distinct levels along the variable and do define a linear continuum of increasing difficulty. All the evidence collected supports the unidimensionality and the high degree of construct validity of the scale. Finally four recommendations for the modification of the scale and future research are proposed.http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/474internet addictionInternet Addiction Testhigh school studentsRasch measurementpsychometric propertiesunidimensionality
spellingShingle Panayiotis Panayides
Miranda Jane Walker
Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement Perspective
Europe's Journal of Psychology
internet addiction
Internet Addiction Test
high school students
Rasch measurement
psychometric properties
unidimensionality
title Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement Perspective
title_full Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement Perspective
title_fullStr Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement Perspective
title_short Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in a Sample of Cypriot High School Students: The Rasch Measurement Perspective
title_sort evaluation of the psychometric properties of the internet addiction test iat in a sample of cypriot high school students the rasch measurement perspective
topic internet addiction
Internet Addiction Test
high school students
Rasch measurement
psychometric properties
unidimensionality
url http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/474
work_keys_str_mv AT panayiotispanayides evaluationofthepsychometricpropertiesoftheinternetaddictiontestiatinasampleofcypriothighschoolstudentstheraschmeasurementperspective
AT mirandajanewalker evaluationofthepsychometricpropertiesoftheinternetaddictiontestiatinasampleofcypriothighschoolstudentstheraschmeasurementperspective