The Development and Validation of the Adolescent Problematic Gaming Scale (PGS-Adolescent)

This study aims to develop and validate the Adolescent Problematic Gaming Scale (PGS-Adolescent). Following established scientific protocols, we developed an initial version of the PGS-Adolescent scale and validated it using data from 448 valid survey responses collected from adolescents in China. The dataset was split into two parts: 225 responses were allocated for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and 223 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA and CFA processes necessitated the removal of 10 items due to low factor loadings, low communalities, misalignment with intended factors, and inadequate item retention. Significantly, all the survey items measuring daily-life disturbance (DD) were excluded. The final 20-item PGS-Adolescent scale includes four constructs: interpersonal relationships (IRE), schooling disruption (SD), physical consequences (Phy-C), and psychological consequences (Psy-C). Researchers may consider directly applying the validated PGS-Adolescent scale or evaluating its applicability and validity in diverse populations and contexts.