Exploring the Validity of the Internet Addiction Test for Students in Grades 5–9 in Hong Kong

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study seeks to test the validity and reliability of Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) for use with Hong Kong students in grades 5 to 9 (i.e., young people aged 10–15 in primary or junior secondary education). The questionnaire used in the study consisted of the IAT and nine other items on relevant predictor variables—duration of Internet use, time spent online, and online activities. Participants were chosen randomly from schools in Hong Kong by a stratified multiple-stage cluster sampling method, yielding 988 valid responses, or a response rate of 99.8 percent. A factor analysis of the IAT revealed four factors—interference with family relationships, salience and withdrawal, overindulgence in online relationships, as well as tolerance and neglecting daily routines. Based on this fartor structure, findings related to internal consistency reliability and correlations with predictor variables provided support for the valid use of the IAT in measuring Internet addiction for Hong Kong students in grades 5–9. The implications of the current findings for future research and practice are discussed.