Test-retest measurement invariance of the nine-item internet gaming disorder scale in two countries : a preliminary longitudinal study
- Authors: Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Bamford, Luke , Beard, Charlotte , Gomez, Rapson , Griffiths, Mark
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Vol. 19, no. 6 (2021), p. 2003-2020
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- Description: The reliable longitudinal assessment of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) behaviors is viewed by many as a pivotal clinical and research priority. The present study is the first to examine the test-retest measurement invariance of IGD ratings, as assessed using the short-form nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS9-SF) over an approximate period of 3 months, across two normative national samples. Differences referring to the mode of the data collection (face-to-face [FtF] vs. online) were also considered. Two sequences of successive multiple group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were calculated to longitudinally assess the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF using emergent adults, gamers from (i) the United States of America (USA; N = 120, 18–29 years, Meanage = 22.35, 51.6% male) assessed online and; and (ii) Australia (N = 61, 18–31 years, Meanage = 23.02, 75.4% male) assessed FtF. Configural invariance was established across both samples, and metric and scalar invariances were supported for the USA sample. Interestingly, only partial metric (factor loadings for Items 2 and 3 non-invariant) and partial scalar invariance (i.e., all thresholds of Items 1 and 2, and thresholds 1, 3, for Items 4, 6, 8, and 9 non-invariant) were established for the Australian sample. Findings are discussed in the light of using IGDS9-SF to assess and monitor IGD behaviors over time in both in clinical and non-clinical settings. © 2019, The Author(s).
Proteus effect profiles : how do they relate with disordered gaming behaviours?
- Authors: Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Pontes, Halley , Gomez, Rapson , Schivinski, Bruno , Griffiths, Mark
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Psychiatric Quarterly Vol. 91, no. 3 (2020), p. 615-628
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- Description: Gamers represent themselves in online gaming worlds through their avatars. The term “Proteus Effect” (PE) defines the potential influences of the gamers’ avatars on their demeanour, perception and conduct and has been linked with excessive gaming. There is a significant lack of knowledge regarding likely distinct PE profiles and whether these could be differentially implicated with disordered gaming. A normative group of 1022 World of Warcraft (WoW) gamers were assessed in the present study (Mean age = 28.60 years). The Proteus Effect Scale (PES) was used to evaluate the possible avatar effect on gamers’ conduct, and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form was used to examine gaming disorder behaviors. Latent class profiling resulted in three distinct PE classes, ‘non-influenced-gamers’ (NIGs), ‘perception-cognition-influenced-gamers’ (PCIGs), and ‘emotion-behaviour-influenced-gamers’ (EBIGs). The NIGs reported low rates across all PES items. The PCIGs indicated higher avatar influence in their perception-experience but did not report being affected emotionally. The EBIGs indicated significantly higher avatar influence in their emotion and behaviour than the other two classes but reported stability in their perception of aspects independent of their avatar. Gaming disorder behaviours were reduced for the NIGs and progressively increased for the PCIGs and the EBIGs. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Measurement invariance of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) between Australia, the USA, and the UK
- Authors: Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Beard, Charlotte , Griffiths, Mark , Buleigh, Tyrone , Gomez, Rapson , Pontes, Halley
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Vol. 16, no. 2 (2018), p. 377-392
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- Description: The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) is widely used to assess Internet Gaming Disorder behaviors. Investigating cultural limitations and implications in its applicability is imperative. One way to evaluate the cross-cultural feasibility of the measure is through measurement invariance analysis. The present study used Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) to examine the IGDS9-SF measurement invariance across gamers from Australia, the United States of America (USA), and the United Kingdom (UK). To accomplish this, 171 Australian, 463 USA, and 281 UK gamers completed the IGDS9-SF. Although results supported the one-factor structure of the IGD construct, they indicated cross-country variations in the strength of the relationships between the indicators and their respective factor (i.e., non-invariant loadings of items 1, 2, 5), and that the same scores may not always indicate the same level of IGD severity across the three groups (i.e., non-invariant intercepts for items 1, 5, 7, 9).
Measurement invariance of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) between the United States of America, India and the United Kingdom
- Authors: Pontes, Halley , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Griffiths, Mark
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Psychiatry Research Vol. 257, no. (2017), p. 472-478
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- Description: The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) has been extensively used worldwide to assess Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) behaviors. Therefore, investigating cultural limitations and implications in its applicability is necessary. The cross-cultural feasibility of a test can be psychometrically evaluated with measurement invariance analyses. Thus, the present study used Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) to examine the IGDS9-SF measurement invariance across garners from the United States of America (USA), India, and the United Kingdom (UK). A total of 1013 garners from the USA (n = 405), India (n = 336), and the UK (n = 272) were recruited. Although the one-factor structure of the IGD construct was supported, cross-country variations were demonstrated considering the way that this was reflected on items assessing preoccupation/salience, tolerance, deception, gaming escapism/mood modification, as well as daily activities' impairment related to gaming. Furthermore, the same scores on items assessing withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, lack of control over gaming engagement, escapism/mood modification and daily activities impairment associated to gaming, have been found to reflect various levels of IGD severity across the three groups. The implications of these results are further discussed in the context of existing evidence regarding the assessment of IGD.