Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Farzin Bagheri Sheykhangafshe ¹
• Mehrnaz Salehi Raj ²
• Hojjatollah Farahani ³

¹ PhD Student in Psychology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

² MA Student in General Psychology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

³ Assistant Professor,Department of Psychology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Social Media Disorder (SMD) scale in Iranian students. This research adopted a descriptive-analytical evaluation approach. The study sample consisted of 404 students from Tehran Province during the academic year 2021-2022, selected through the convenience sampling method. The students completed questionnaires on social media disorder, internet addiction, and self-esteem. The psychometric properties of the social media disorder scale were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, divergent validity, concurrent validity, Pearson's correlation, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient in R software version 4.1 at a significance level of 0.05. In the confirmatory factor analysis of the Social Media Disorder (SMD) scale, a nine-factor structure was confirmed (CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.03). When examining concurrent and divergent criterion validity, we found that the correlation between the SMD scale and the Internet Addiction Scale was positively significant, indicating a strong relationship between the two constructs. Furthermore, the study found a negative and significant correlation between social media disorder and self-esteem. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the overall SMD scale score was 0.94, while the coefficients for its dimensions ranged from 0.74 to 0.92, demonstrating acceptable reliability. The findings confirm the construct validity of the SMD scale and its multidimensional structure, which allows it to effectively diagnose social media disorder among Iranian students.

Introduction

Social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat have become integral parts of many people's lives around the world, providing a range of communication, entertainment, and connection opportunities. The widespread availability of the internet and the abundance of social media platforms have enabled individuals to save time, quickly access essential information, connect with multiple people, and engage in online shopping, offering a plethora of convenient options.
While social media and networking platforms offer various benefits, they can be seen as detrimental when users engage excessively and addictively with them, losing control over their usage (Glaser, Liu, Hakim, Vilar & Zhang, 2018). Despite not being formally listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), social media disorder or addiction is commonly regarded as a behavioral addiction (Muller et al., 2016). Over recent decades, the proliferation of media and social networks has resulted in significant alterations in people's lifestyles globally. These platforms have enabled easy access to both reliable and unreliable information while reducing physical activity levels. Moreover, they have been tied to psychological challenges such as depression, stress, anxiety, and addictive behaviors. Given the continuing increase in the number of social media users, it has become crucial to have a dependable assessment tool. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Social Media Disorder (SMD) scale among Iranian students.

Literature Review

The study by Van den Eijnden et al. (2016) led to the development of a reliable questionnaire that assesses the extent of excessive usage of various social media platforms. This questionnaire comprises 27 items and 9 subdomains, encompassing preoccupation, tolerance, withdrawal, perseverance, escape, problems, deception, displacement, and engagement. Savci et al. conducted a psychometric validation study on the Social Media Disorder (SMD) questionnaire among Turkish adolescents, involving a sample of 553 individuals with at least one social media presence. As per the findings of Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the social media disorder questionnaire was found to consist of 9 factors among the Turkish adolescent participants. Further, the calculated indices, such as GFI, CFI, AGFI, NNFI, and IFI, demonstrated a favorable and highly desirable model fit. Similarly, Fung (2019) studied the psychometric properties of the same questionnaire among a sample of Chinese university students.
In the research, a sample of 903 university students was examined and the Social Media Disorder (SMD) questionnaire was found to consist of nine factors. The calculated indices, including SRMR, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA, pointed towards a desirable and high model fit. Furthermore, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the overall scale was determined to be 0.75. In addition, Boer et al. (2021) investigated the validity and reliability of the same questionnaire among Dutch adolescents. According to the results of the study, which involved a sample of 6626 Dutch adolescents between the ages of 12 to 16, the Social Media Disorder (SMD) questionnaire was found to consist of nine factors. The calculated indices, such as TLI, CFI, RMSEA, and SRMR, indicated a desirable and highly desirable model fit. Similarly, Liu and Ma (2018) conducted a psychometric validation study on the same questionnaire among a sample of 619 Chinese university students. The study discovered the presence of 6 factors through exploratory factor analysis. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and reliability by the split-half method were found to be 0.93 and 0.87, respectively. Cheng et al. (2021) conducted a literature review to explore the global prevalence of social media addiction across 32 countries. The study's findings showed that the global prevalence of social media disorder or addiction ranged from 5% to 29%. Interestingly, the prevalence of this issue was twice as high in individualistic countries compared to collectivistic countries.

Methodology

The present study is aimed at standardizing the scale, which calls for a descriptive and survey-based approach. The targeted population comprises students from Tehran Province during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Based on the guidance provided by Tabachnick et al. (2007), for validation and factor analysis studies, the minimum sample size should be 300 participants. If the number of participants reaches 400, it is considered quite suitable. However, having a sample size of 1000 participants would be considered excellent and would be the best possible scenario. In line with the study's objectives, a total of 404 participants were selected through convenience sampling. These individuals include 212 females and 192 males. The inclusion criteria for the study specified that the individuals should be satisfied, have full access to the internet, and fall within the age range of 18 to 50 years old.
As per the study's protocols, a set of exclusion criteria were stipulated that encompassed not belonging to the target research community, experiencing severe physical and psychiatric problems, providing random answers to questions, and submitting incomplete responses. The participants were required to complete questionnaires related to social media disorder, internet addiction, and self-esteem. The psychometric properties of the Social Media Disorder (SMD) scale were examined by conducting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), assessing divergent validity and concurrent validity, calculating Pearson's correlation, and determining Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The analyses were carried out using the R software, version 4.1, at a significance level of 0.05.

Results

The study revealed that the average age of the participants was 27.81 years, with a standard deviation of 7.62. As the initial stage, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the structural validity of the scale. As part of the assessment of the appropriateness of test items for factor analysis, the study examined the correlation between each item's score and the corrected total score. The results of this assessment are presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Correlation of items with the corrected total score




item


Correlation


item


Correlation


item


Correlation


item


Correlation






1


0.494


8


0.663


15


0.600


22


0.686




2


0.663


9


0.585


16


0.617


23


0.655




3


0.581


10


0.604


17


0.533


24


0.629




4


0.578


11


0.611


18


0.653


25


0.632




5


0.614


12


0.694


19


0.637


26


0.588




6


0.573


13


0.627


20


0.655


27


0.535




7


0.650


14


0.596


21


0.565


-


-




Table 1 presents the analysis of the correlation between the items and the adjusted total score. All items on the scale were found to exhibit positive correlations above 0.30 with the adjusted total score. The positive correlation coefficients indicate that all items are well-aligned with the overall scale score, as stated by Steenbergen and Marks (2007).
Figure 1. The nine-factor model of the Social Media Disorder Scale and standardized path coefficients
 
The study's findings from confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the items of the Social Media Disorder (SMD) Scale demonstrate robust factor loadings, highlighting their suitability for effective use among the Iranian sample.

Conclusion

The primary objective of this research project was to standardize and validate the Persian adaptation of the Social Media Disorder (SMD) Scale for application among university students. To achieve this goal, the study aimed to confirm the structural validity of the scale by employing concurrent and divergent criterion validity analyses through factor analysis.
The analysis results indicated a nine-factor structure for the Social Media Disorder (SMD) scale, consistent with previous research. Additionally, the study's findings suggest that the Persian adaptation of the SMD scale displays sufficient validity and reliability in the Iranian context. Further evidence supporting the practical utility of the questionnaire was obtained from the strong correlation observed with the Internet Addiction Scale and the high Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the subscales. Despite the limited attention paid to social media disorder in Iran, conducting more comprehensive studies may provide deeper understanding regarding the credibility of this scale within the Iranian context.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to extend their sincere gratitude to all the esteemed students who participated in this study.

Keywords

• Social Media Disorder Scale
• Validity
• Reliability
• Psychometrics