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Development and validation of a scale to measure internet self-expansion

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Abstract

Self-expansion is a common phenomenon in social life, and it may provide a new and integrated perspective to examine Internet use and its influences. In current information era, Internet has become an indispensable component of our daily lives, but there have been limited attempts to measure its influence from a self-expansion perspective. This study aims to develop and validate a scale measuring Internet self-expansion. Firstly, a semi-structured interview was conducted to generate the initial items. Exploratory factor analysis was then conducted on the initial 23 items using a sample of 565 participants. The results identified three dimensions: the acquisition of new experiences and perspectives; a sense of personal growth and new identities; and raising competence and resources. The three-factor model with 16-item, was then subjected to confirmatory factor analysis using a second sample of 686 participants. The results showed a good model fit. Finally, criterion validity and reliability were examined using a third sample of 351 participants. The results revealed that the score of Internet self-expansion was significantly correlated with that of Inclusion of Other in Self scale and Internet Use Intensity measure, indicating a good criteria validity. The scale of Internet self-expansion also demonstrated good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Taken together, the findings suggest that the proposed scale is a reliable and valid measure which can be used to assess Internet self-expansion.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under licence for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of the Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU).

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Humanities and Social Sciences of China MOE (19YJC190019), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872781), the Research Program Funds of the Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality (2020-04-012-BZKP01; 2020-04-013-BZPK01), the China Soft Science Funding Program (2020QRK022), and the self-determined research funds of CCNU from the colleges’ basic research and operation of MOE (CCNU20QN023; CCNU20TD001). No competing interests existed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Gengfeng Niu, Zongkui Zhou & Xiaojun Sun

  2. Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Gengfeng Niu, Zongkui Zhou & Xiaojun Sun

  3. Institute of Social Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

    Gengfeng Niu, Yuping Wang, Zhanxing Li & Xiaoli Ni

  4. Collaborative Innovation Center of Assement toward Basic Education Quality, Central China Normal University Branch, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Gengfeng Niu, Zongkui Zhou & Xiaojun Sun

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  1. Gengfeng Niu
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  2. Yuping Wang
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  3. Zhanxing Li
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  4. Zongkui Zhou
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  5. Xiaoli Ni
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Correspondence to Zongkui Zhou, Xiaoli Ni or Xiaojun Sun.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Appendix

Appendix

The outline of the semi-structured interview

  1. (1)

    Personal information; basic information on internet usage (length of internet use, the time when he/she first use internet, frequency and duration of daily Internet use, and the common functions used online).

  2. (2)

    Have you heard of the term of self-expansion or do you know the definition of it? (Presenting the definition and specific example of self-expansion) Could you tell some examples or experience of self-expansion in your daily lives.

  3. (3)

    Do you have some experience of self-expansion online or in online activities? When and how you feel the sense of self-expansion in online space or activities? Could you please tell these experience in detail?

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Niu, G., Wang, Y., Li, Z. et al. Development and validation of a scale to measure internet self-expansion. Curr Psychol 42, 6494–6500 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01908-z

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