Psychometric properties of the Social Network Addiction Questionnaire (SNAQ) for undergraduates

Abstract

Social network addiction in young people has been extensively studied and associated with multiple factors. Among the scales designed to measure this, the 24-item version of the Social Network Addiction Questionnaire (SNAQ) is one of the most widely used. This study analyses the psychometric properties of the Spanish version adapted to undergraduates. The content and construct validity of the scale was explored using the Rasch model and a confirmatory factor analysis. The data categorisation structure, construct dimensionality, model fit, subject and item reliability, Wright Map structure, and differential item functioning (DIF) were specifically analysed. 1,809 students from 24 Spanish universities participated. The results indicate that the SNAQ presents good reliability and dimensionality, and a good model fit; however, elements in need of improvement are appreciated mainly in the proposed Likert scale, in the development of new items that measure the extremes of addiction to social network sites and in the wording of one item. With respect to factor analysis, three factors were obtained that coincide with the original construct. With the improvements that have been observed through validation, the questionnaire could confidently be used to measure the construct in the university population. The instrument fills an important gap in the identification of addictive behaviours in the use of social networks, which could lead to a subsequent intervention involving undergraduates.