Adolescent internet adaptability: A scale adaptation study

Authors : Emrah Akman, Şenel Çıtak, Tuğçe Peker Akman

Pages : 369-399

Doi:10.48146/odusobiad.1729675

View : 97 | Download : 119

Publication Date : 2025-07-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In today\\\'s rapidly digitalising world, adolescents\\\' intensive use of the Internet presents both developmental opportunities and a range of psychosocial risks. Internet addiction, cyberbullying, and other challenges encountered in digital environments can adversely affect adolescents\\\' psychological resilience and social adjustment. Accordingly, measuring the extent to which adolescents can cope with online risks and benefit from digital opportunities is of great importance for educators and family counsellors. However, there is a notable lack of valid and reliable instruments in Turkey that comprehensively assess adolescents\\\' Internet adaptability competencies. The primary aim of this study was to adapt the Adolescent Internet Adaptability Scale (AIAS), originally developed by Wang et al. (2025), into Turkish and to examine its psychometric properties among a sample of Turkish adolescents. A mixed-methods research design was employed, and the scale adaptation process included translation, content validity, expert review, construct validity, and reliability analyses. The study sample consisted of 988 adolescents aged 12 to 26 from various provinces in Turkey. Construct validity was tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and the original eight-factor structure of the scale was confirmed in the Turkish sample (CFI = .96, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .04). The internal consistency coefficients were .86 for Cronbach\\\'s alpha and .87 for McDonald\\\'s omega; the test-retest correlation was .81. For criterion-related validity, significant negative correlations were found between the AIAS and measures of depression and Internet addiction, while a significant positive correlation was observed with subjective well-being. In conclusion, the AIAS was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish adolescents. The scale can be used to assess digital adaptability, identify at-risk individuals early, and support both school and family counselling practices. It is recommended that future studies expand the scope of the scale by including different age groups and additional variables.
Keywords : İnternet uyum yetkinliği, Ergenler, Ölçek uyarlama, Geçerlik ve güvenirlik

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