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Psychometric Evaluation of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale: One- or Two-Factor Solution?

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the French version of the Bergen Facebook addiction scale (BFAS) and to compare a one- and two-factors models. A sample of 687 students (Mage = 20.28; SD = 3.74; min = 17; max = 57) with 17.5% of male and 82.5% of women completed the study. Participants completed online the French version of the BFAS, as well as questionnaires assessing the intensity, frequency of Facebook use, and emotional engagement with Facebook and emotional symptoms (depression and anxiety). In order to assess test–retest reliability, a sub-sample of 183 participants completed all questionnaires again 6 months later. Factorial analyses suggested that both the one- and the two-factor models fit the data well. Concurrent validity was supported. A good internal consistency and a high correlation index between the two waves have been displayed. We suggest that more research should explore the two-factor model of addiction, with larger samples, due to the risk of overestimation of people with problematic Facebook use.

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All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Études et de Recherches en Psychopathologie et Psychologie de la Santé—CERPPS EA7411, Université Fédérale, Toulouse, France

    Elodie Verseillié, Stéphanie Laconi & Henri Chabrol

  2. Department of Personality, Assessment, and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Jesús Castro-Calvo

  3. Université Toulouse Jean-Jaurès, Maison de la recherche, Laboratoire CEPPS, 5 allées Antonio Machado, 31058 Cedex 9, Toulouse, France

    Elodie Verseillié

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  1. Elodie Verseillié
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  2. Stéphanie Laconi
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  3. Jesús Castro-Calvo
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  4. Henri Chabrol
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Correspondence to Elodie Verseillié.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975.

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The authors E. Verseillié, S. Laconi, J. Castro-Calvo, and H. Chabrol declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Appendices

Appendix A

See Table 4.

Table 4 Items of the Bergen Facebook addiction scale in English and French versions
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Appendix B

See Table 5.

Table 5 Descriptive statistics on Facebook addiction depending on the sociodemographic variables and Facebook use
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Verseillié, E., Laconi, S., Castro-Calvo, J. et al. Psychometric Evaluation of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale: One- or Two-Factor Solution?. Int J Ment Health Addiction 21, 1405–1420 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00668-y

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