Designing and Determining the Psychometrics Properties of a Scale Consequences of Virtual Social Networks in Users

Virtual Social Networks (VSNs), as a major communication tool, affect different aspects of life in society members. Due to the lack of an appropriate questionnaire to assess the consequences of using these VSNs, this study aimed to design and determine the psychometric properties of a questionnaire using consequences of VSNs in users.

This methodological research was conducted on 320 active users of VSNs in Qom Province, Iran, in 2018. Based on the purposeful literature review, 97 items related to various consequences of using VSNs were prepared. By assessing the face and content validity of the questionnaire, using the opinion of an 8-member expert panel, the items were quantitatively and qualitatively reviewed and reduced to 32 items. Furthermore, the reliability of the questionnaire was determined by examining the internal correlation of items by calculating the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and the validity of the questionnaire was examined by a testretest method using SPSS v. 20. Finally, to evaluate the tool’s structural validity, exploratory factor analysis was performed using LISREL 10.3.

After determining the validity and reliability, a 7-factor questionnaire with 22 items was obtained. The content validity ratio and index values of all items were obtained to be more than 0.75 and 0.79, respectively. In the assessment of structural validity, the factor load values of all items, i.e., appropriate values, were measured to be more than 0.5. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient to range between 0.65 and 0.85 and a correlation coefficient index of 0.66-0.87.

The present study data suggested that the developed questionnaire, using consequences of VSNs, had proper validity and reliability and can be used in future studies.