title: Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) in an Italian-speaking sample.
abstract: Background and aims The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in Section III of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has increased the interest of researchers in the development of new standardized psychometric tools for the assessment of such a disorder. To date, the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) has only been validated in English, Portuguese, and Slovenian languages. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF in an Italian-speaking sample. Methods A total of 757 participants were recruited to the present study. Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group analyses were applied to assess the construct validity. Reliability analyses comprised the average variance extracted, the standard error of measurement, and the factor determinacy coefficient. Convergent and criterion validities were established through the associations with other related constructs. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine an empirical cut-off point. Results Findings confirmed the single-factor structure of the instrument, its measurement invariance at the configural level, and the convergent and criterion validities. Satisfactory levels of reliability and a cut-off point of 21 were obtained. Discussion and conclusions The present study provides validity evidence for the use of the Italian version of the IGDS9-SF and may foster research into gaming addiction in the Italian context.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Humanities, University of Foggia , Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monacis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Humanities, University of Foggia , Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria de
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Palo
authors.affiliation: 2 International Gaming Research Unit, Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University , Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro , Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinatra
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D014177:Translations; D018910:Video Games; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Internet Gaming Disorder; behavioral addiction; convergent and criterion validities; factorial structure; gaming addiction; psychometric properties