Introduction
Problematic internet use is a common phenomenon. The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was first published in 2006 and its psychometric properties were checked in a study by Kelly & Gruber (2010). The latter study generally confirmed the three-factor structure.
The three factors underlying the PIUQ are:
-
Obsession — being obsessed with Internet activities
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Neglect — neglecting non-internet activities
-
Control disorder — unable stopping to use the internet
| See also the PsyToolkit implementation of the Facebook addiction scale. |
The participants in the original PIUQ study (carried out in Budapest, Hungary) were (approximately) for 50% students, and the mean age was 23 years. The age of participants ranged from 12 to 69.
The PIUQ does not give any cut-off points (for when Internet use becomes of concern) because it did not study a clinical population.
| Type of score | Possible range | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
PIUQ (overall score) |
18-90 |
32.4 |
32.6 |
Obsession |
6-30 |
9.1 |
9.2 |
Neglect |
6-30 |
13.0 |
12.1 |
Control disorder |
6-30 |
10.3 |
11.3 |
| Statistically significant sex differences were found in obsession and neglect by Demetrovics et al. (2008) but not by Kelly & Gruber (2010). |
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Legal stuff
It seems that the PIUQ can be used for research, but you need to acknowledge the authors and their research paper when writing about it (Demetrovics et al., 2008).
Technically
This is a simple scale question.
The survey code for PsyToolkit
scale: frequency
- never
- rarely
- sometimes
- often
- always
l: piuq
t: scale frequency
o: random
q: In the following you will read statements about your Internet use.<br>
Please indicate how much these statements characterize you.
- How often do you fantasize about the Internet, or think about what it would be like to be online when you are not on the Internet?
- How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time online?
- How often do you feel that you should decrease the amount of time spent online?
- How often do you daydream about the Internet?
- How often do you spend time online when you’d rather sleep?
- How often does it happen to you that you wish to decrease the amount of time spent online but you do not succeed?
- How often do you feel tense, irritated, or stressed if you cannot use the Internet for as long as you want to?
- How often do you choose the Internet rather than being with your partner?
- How often do you try to conceal the amount of time spent online?
- How often do you feel tense, irritated, or stressed if you cannot use the Internet for several days?
- How often does the use of Internet impair your work or your efficacy?
- How often do you feel that your Internet usage causes problems for you?
- How often does it happen to you that you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are not on the Internet and these feelings stop once you are back online?
- How often do people in your life complain about spending too much time online?
- How often do you realize saying when you are online, “just a couple of more minutes and I will stop”?
- How often do you dream about the Internet?
- How often do you choose the Internet rather than going out with somebody to have some fun?
- How often do you think that you should ask for help in relation to your Internet use?
l: total
t: set
- sum $piuq
l: obsession
t: set
- sum $piuq.1 $piuq.4 $piuq.7 $piuq.10 $piuq.13 $piuq.16
l: neglect
t: set
- sum $piuq.2 $piuq.5 $piuq.8 $piuq.11 $piuq.14 $piuq.17
l: control
t: set
- sum $piuq.3 $piuq.6 $piuq.9 $piuq.12 $piuq.15 $piuq.18
l: feedback
t: info
q: Your overall score (possible range 18-90): {$total}<br>
Your three subscale scores:<br>
<ul>
<li>Obsession (possible range 6-30): {$obsession}
<li>Neglect (possible range 6-30): {$neglect}
<li>Control disorder (possible range 6-30): {$control}
</ul>
References
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Demetrovics, Z., Szeredi, B., & Rózsa, S. (2008). The three-factor model of Internet addiction: The development of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 563-574.
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Kelley, K. J. & Gruber, E. M. (2010). Psychometric properties of the Problematic Internet Use Questionaire. Computers in human behavior, 26, 1838-1845.