Validation of the Game Addiction Scale among Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to validate the online game addiction scale among students in Alborz city. The method of the current research was survey-descriptive. The research population included second-grade high school students in Alborz city. The research sample consisted of 374 high school students who were randomly selected using a cluster sampling method and responded to the scales of online game addiction by Khazaal et al. (2018), life satisfaction by Sharifi Fard et al. (2021), Ryff's psychological well-being (2002), and Instagram addiction by Kirkcaburun and Griffiths (2018). Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha analysis in SPSS v. 22 and LISREL v. 8.80 software. Results showed that the online game addiction scale is unidimensional. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed the single-factor structure of the instrument. Convergent validity was demonstrated through a correlation with Instagram addiction of 0.47 (p<0.01), and divergent validity was shown through correlations with life satisfaction (-0.39) and well-being (-0.37) (p<0.01). The reliability of the online game addiction scale was 0.83 using Cronbach's alpha and 0.74 using the retest method. According to the obtained findings, it can be concluded that Khazaal et al.'s online game addiction scale has acceptable psychometric properties in an adolescent sample and can be used in the field of behavioral addiction studies, including adolescent game addiction.Extended Abstract:IntroductionGaming has become one of the central recreational activities for children, adolescents, and, increasingly in recent decades, adults. With the rapid advancement of digital technology and the widespread availability of the internet, engagement in computer-based games has grown substantially, especially among younger populations (Prevratil et al., 2022). Psychological assessments are essential for evaluating behavioral and emotional variables, and given the growing popularity of computer-based and online games among diverse age groups, including older adults (Statista, 2022), the assessment of gaming addiction has gained considerable importance. Over the past decade, substantial research has been conducted on online gaming addiction and internet gaming disorder—two closely related concepts—part of which has focused on developing and validating reliable assessment tools (Khazaal et al., 2018). Considering that gaming constitutes a significant part of daily life for many individuals, particularly adolescents, having access to valid, reliable, culturally relevant, and time-efficient instruments for assessing gaming addiction is crucial. Children and adolescents, who represent the largest proportion of computer-game users, are at higher risk of experiencing psychological and social consequences associated with excessive gaming. Therefore, the need for a short, psychometrically sound, and culturally appropriate tool is evident. Given the prevalence of gaming in Iran and the lack of recently standardized instruments tailored to the Iranian cultural context, the present study aimed to validate and establish normative data for a gaming addiction scale among adolescents.MethodThis study employed a descriptive–survey design. The statistical population consisted of all middle and high school students in Alborz Province, from which a sample of 400 students was selected using cluster sampling. After removing 26 outlier cases, the final sample included 374 participants. All adolescents in the sample played computer games at least three times per week for two to three hours per session. Data were collected by distributing the survey link through class social network channels. The instruments included the Online Gaming Addiction Scale developed by Lemmens et al. (2009), the Instagram Addiction Scale (Kircaburun & Griffiths, 2018), Ryff’s (1979) Psychological Well-being Scale, and the Single-Item Life Satisfaction Scale by Sharifi Fard et al. (2021).ResultsOf the total participants, 228 (61%) were boys and 146 (39%) were girls. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using principal component analysis with varimax rotation on the seven items of the gaming addiction scale. Based on eigenvalues greater than one, a single-factor structure emerged, accounting for approximately 51% of the total variance in gaming addiction. Convergent validity was supported by a significant positive correlation between the gaming addiction scale and the Instagram addiction scale (r = 0.47, p < 0.01). Divergent validity was examined through correlations with psychological well-being and life satisfaction. As expected, gaming addiction was negatively and significantly correlated with both psychological well-being (r = –0.37, p < 0.01) and life satisfaction (r = –0.39, p < 0.01), supporting the scale’s discriminant validity. Reliability analyses showed satisfactory coefficients: Cronbach’s alpha was 0.83, and test–retest reliability was 0.74, indicating good internal consistency and temporal stability. Analysis of gender differences revealed no statistically significant difference in gaming addiction scores between boys and girls (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe findings demonstrate that the gaming addiction scale possesses strong psychometric properties within the adolescent population. These results are consistent with previous studies confirming the psychometric adequacy of gaming-related assessment tools (Khazaal et al., 2018) and align with research by Whang and Chang (2002) and Anuthawarn (2008) on the characteristics and correlates of gaming addiction. Similar to other behavioral addictions, such as addiction to social networking platforms (e.g., Instagram), gaming addiction is characterized by excessive time investment driven by uncontrollable urges, which can lead to adverse real-life consequences. Online games, due to their engaging and immersive nature, particularly attract children and adolescents, who are developmentally more prone to emotional reactivity and impulsivity. High levels of involvement in gaming may cause neglect of academic responsibilities, reduced school performance, and interpersonal conflicts with family members and peers (Rosyid et al., 2019). Considering the increasing prevalence of computer-based gaming and the potential benefits and harms associated with it (Rosyid et al., 2019), as well as the practical advantages of the present scale—such as short administration time, ease of scoring, and clear interpretability—the validated scale can serve as a useful and appropriate tool for assessing gaming addiction among Iranian adolescents.