Development and validation of a Digital Immersion Scale for Adolescents

Abstract

The objective of this study was to build and psychometrically analyze a scale to measure digital immersion in adolescents. Digital immersion was defined as the persistent, continuous and enthusiastic use of devices and digital media accompanied by the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously with feelings self-efficacy, reliance, dependence, and identification with technology. Content validity was analyzed through expert judgment (n = 8); then, evidence of the validity of the internal structure was obtained through Exploratory Factor Analysis (n = 347) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (n = 347). The final version of the Scale of Digital Immersion for Adolescents (EIDA) contained 30 items, grouped into five dimensions: Variety of Use; Intensity of Use; Multitasking: Involvement; and Dependence, explaining 89% of the variance presented in the data. The internal consistency of the scale was satisfactory (α = .951).