Brief Description:
• Nichols, & Nichi (2004)
• Items were based on DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence as well as salience and mood modification recommended criteria by Griffiths, 1998.
Versions:
• English
Type of Measure:
• Self-completed
• Thirty-one items (originally 36)
• Five point Likert scale
Target Population:
• Adult
Scoring:
• 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = frequently, 5 = always
• Cut-off score of 93 suggests Internet addiction
Psychometrics:
Source reference: Nichols, & Nicki (2004): 207 students from the University of New Brunswick, Canada.
• Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha = 0.95
• Validity: content, construct (family and social loneliness were strongly associated with score on the IAS)
• One-factor (related to the negative consequences of overuse of the Internet)
Utility for Prevalence Surveys:
• Fair
Research Applicability:
• Not widely used
Copyright, Cost, and Source Issues:
• Public domain (no cost): not available
Source References:
Nichols, L. A., & Nicki, R. (2004). Development of a psychometrically sound Internet Addiction Scale: A preliminary step. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18(4), 381-384.
Originally:
Nichols, L. A., & Nicki, R. M. (2000, June). Does Internet addiction really exist? A need to develop a psychometrically sound assessment scale. Poster presented at the 61st annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Strengths:
• Theoretically based
Weaknesses:
• Limited use
• Relatively long