The multidimensional online civic engagement for youth (MOCE-Y) scale: development and validation

Abstract

Online civic engagement among young people may represent a form of positive youth development in digital spaces. However, its impacts on youth’s well-being remain unclear, partly due to a lack of validated measures that capture the unique features of the internet and incorporate youth voices. To address this gap, we developed and validated a scale of multidimensional online civic engagement for youth aged 15 to 25 years (MOCE-Y) using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach. Qualitative interviews with 12 youth supported the multidimensional structure derived from literature, from which we developed an initial 40-item scale. Exploratory (N = 159) and confirmatory (N = 244) factor analyses with two independent samples further validated the multidimensionality of the scale, consisting of civic behaviors and skills. The final 26-item scale demonstrated discriminant, criterion, and incremental validity as well as internal consistency. MOCE-Y lays the groundwork for future research on youth civic engagement online.