Problematic internet use among adolescents: Psychometric properties of the index of problematic online experiences (I-POE)

Abstract

The basic aim of this research was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Index of Problematic Online Experiences (I-POE) on a sample of adolescents from Serbia. Construct validity, which had previously been tested by the authors of the test themselves (Mitchell, Jones, Wells, 2013), was retested here. The possibility of predicting I-POE scores based on selected personality traits and parental mediation was also evaluated. A total of 339 students from two cities in Serbia, aged 18 and 19, participated in the study. The results indicated that very similar behavior determined problematic Internet use (PIU) both in this research and that of the authors of the test. Construct validity testing indicated that the scores on the I-POE predicted online perpetration, sexual behavior and victimization, as expected. Negative valence was correlated with the I-POE scores with mediation effect of Parental involvement. The results indicate that I-POE encompasses significant characteristics of PIU as a global phenomenon and it can be of significant importance in assessing this problem among the adolescent population.

Keywords

• problematic internet use
• adolescence
• negative valence
• parental mediation
• research
• Serbia