The German version of the Generalized Pathological Internet Use Scale 2: A validation study.

The Generalized Pathological Internet Use Scale (GPIUS2) assesses cognitive behavioral aspects of problematic Internet use. To date, the 15-item scale has only been available in English, and the aim of this study was to translate and validate a German version. An online sample (ON, n = 1,041, age 24.2 ± 7.2 years, 46.7\% men) completed an Internet version of the translated GPIUS2, and a student sample (OF, n = 841, age 23.5 ± 3.0 years, 46.8\% men) filled in a pencil and paper version. A third sample of 108 students (21.5 ± 2.0 years, 25.7\% men) completed the questionnaire twice to determine the 14-day retest reliability. Participants also answered questions regarding their Internet use habits (OF, ON) and depression, loneliness, and social anxiety (ON). The internal consistencies were α = 0.91 (ON) and α = 0.86 (OF). Item-whole correlations ranged from r = 0.53 to r = 0.69 (ON) and from r = 0.39 to r = 0.63 (OF). The 2 week retest reliability was rtt = 0.85. Confirmatory factor analyses found a satisfactory fit for the factorial model proposed by Caplan for the original version. The GPIUS2 score correlated moderately with time spent on the Internet for private purposes in a typical week (ON: r = 0.40; OF: r = 0.36). Loneliness, depression, and social anxiety explained 46\% of the variance in GPIUS2 scores. The German version of the GPIUS2 has good psychometric properties in a pencil and paper version as well as in a web-based format, and the observations regarding loneliness, depression, and social anxiety support the underlying model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Accession Number: 2014-28595-008. PMID: 24742070 Other Journal Title: CyberPsychology & Behavior; Journal of Cybertherapy and Rehabilitation. Partial author list: First Author & Affiliation: Barke, Antonia; Institute for Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Gottingen University, Gottingen, Germany. Other Publishers: Virtual Reality Medical Institute BVBA. Release Date: 20140929. Publication Type: Journal (0100), Peer Reviewed Journal (0110). Format Covered: Electronic. Document Type: Journal Article. Language: English. Major Descriptor: Internet Addiction; Measurement; Pathology; Psychometrics; Test Validity. Minor Descriptor: Cognitive Generalization; Test Construction; Test Reliability; Internet Usage. Classification: Clinical Psychological Testing (2224); Substance Abuse & Addiction (3233). Population: Human (10); Male (30); Female (40). Location: Germany. Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older) (300). Tests & Measures: Generalized Pathological Internet Use Scale 2-German Version; State–Trait Depression Scale; Brief Fear of Negative Evaluations Scale; UCLA Loneliness Scale DOI: 10.1037/t05974-000. Methodology: Empirical Study; Quantitative Study. References Available: Y. Page Count: 9. Issue Publication Date: Jul, 2014. Copyright Statement: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.