The reliability and validity of the 18-item long form and two short forms of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire in three Japanese samples

Abstract

This study aimed to provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ). The PIUQ is an 18-item scale that includes three subscales (Obsession, Neglect, Control Disorder). There are also two short forms, a 9-item and a 6-item version. The PIUQ was administered to 587 adults, 360 adolescents, and 222 undergraduate students in Japan. In all three samples, Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the total scores were high, and the majority of the subscale scores also demonstrated adequate internal consistency. One-month test-retest correlations were lower than in the original PIUQ research, and construct validity was demonstrated by correlations between the PIUQ and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), psychological distress, participant's time spent on Internet use, sleep, exercise, and time spent on various online activities. Both the full version and the short forms of the PIUQ demonstrated adequate construct validity. The short forms will be useful for convenient screening and the assessment of problematic Internet use.

Keywords: Internet addiction; Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire; Problematic internet use; Reliability; Validity.