Manuel Mennig

User’s expectations contribute to the maintenance of problematic use of online gaming (OG), social networking (SN), and online pornography (OP). Since an instrument to assess use expectations across applications is lacking, this study aimed at developing and testing such a questionnaire. It consists of a general module (GM), which includes expectations relevant to all three applications, and three application-specific modules. A pilot and a validation study were conducted with 2880 German adults. We conducted item analyses, exploratory factor analyses (EFA), exploratory structural equation modelling, and correlation analyses. The EFA revealed six factors for the GM and two factors for each specific module. The GM demonstrated measurement invariance between applications. The instrument showed excellent psychometric properties, indicating its suitability for assessing expectations concerning the use of OG, SN, and OG reliably and validly. It could be helpful for treating patients with problematic use of the applications and investigating the role of the relevant expectations.

Online pornography is a widespread Internet application. As with other Internet applications, in some cases its use can become problematic. First indications point to a link between problematic use of online pornography and psychological distress and general functional impairment. However, to date, there are no standardized criteria for assessing problematic use of online pornography. In this study, we used the Online Pornography Disorder Questionnaire (OPDQ)—an instrument which adapted the official criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder to online pornography—to measure problematic use and investigated to what extent consumers with a self-perceived problematic use of online pornography differed from casual users with regard to their psychological distress. An online sample of German adult visitors to a popular casual dating site completed the OPDQ, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and provided information on their online pornography use (n = 1539; 72.6% male; 31.43 ± 11.96 years). T-scores for the BSI were calculated and independent t-tests were conducted to compare casual users with consumers with a self-perceived problematic use of online pornography. Of the users, 5.9% fulfilled the criteria for problematic use. This group consumed online pornography for longer amounts of time and showed higher levels of psychological distress (Hedges’ g from 0.75 to 1.21). The T-scores of users with self-perceived problematic online pornography use reached clinically relevant levels on all subscales. Overall, the results of the study indicate that self-perceived problematic use of online pornography seems to be linked to severe psychological distress that may warrant clinical attention.

Background: The problematic use of online gaming, social networking sites (SNS) and online pornography (OP) is an evolving problem. Contrary to the problematic use of SNS and OP, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was included in the new edition of the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) as a condition for further study. The present study adapted the criteria for IGD to the problematic use of SNS and OP by modifying a validated questionnaire for IGD (Internet Gaming Disorder Questionnaire: IGDQ) and investigating the psychometric properties of the modified versions, SNSDQ and OPDQ. Methods: Two online samples (SNS: n = 700, 25.6 ± 8.4 years, 76.4% female; OP: n = 700, 32.9 ± 12.6 years, 76.7% male) completed the SNSDQ/OPDQ, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the short Internet Addiction Test (sIAT) and provided information on their SNS/OP use. Standard item and reliability analyses, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and correlations with the sIAT were calculated. Problematic and non-problematic users were compared. Results: The internal consistencies were ω_ordinal = 0.89 (SNS) and ω_ordinal = 0.88 (OP). The exploratory factor analyses extracted one factor for both questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the results. The SNSDQ/OPDQ scores correlated highly with the sIAT scores and moderately with SNS/OP usage time. Of the users, 3.4% (SNS) and 7.1% (OP) lay above the cutoff for problematic use. Problematic users had higher sIAT scores, used the applications for longer and experienced more psychological distress. Conclusion: Overall, the results of the study indicate that the adaption of the IGD criteria is a promising approach for measuring problematic SNS/OP use.