Design and validation process for the attitudes scale towards academic doping in university students (EADA-EU)

Introduction: Academic doping, cognitive enhancement or neuro-enhancement, understood as the use of substances, including medications without a medical prescription, to improve academic performance has reached to the classrooms of the higher educational system, and is considered a public health problem. This study aimed to develop and validate a tool to assess attitudes towards the use of substances to enhance academic performance among university students. Material and method: A questionnaire was created based on previous studies conducted in several European countries and the content was validated by a committee of experts, followed by an analysis of its reliability and construct validity. In this phase, a sample of 245 students from the University of Zaragoza was used. The validation process included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: The initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA) suggested a 12-item model, which was later reduced to 10 items to improve the fit indices. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) fit indices were adequate for the 10-item model (CFI >0,9; IFI >0,9; RMSEA <0,08). The final scale, named the Academic Doping Attitudes Scale for University Students (ADAS-US), includes two dimensions: “Ethics and Academic Justice” (Cronbach’s alpha = 0,796) and “External Factors and Academic Well-being” (Cronbach’s alpha = 0,703). Conclusions: The main conclusions indicate that the ADAS-US is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring attitudes towards the use of substances to enhance academic performance. This instrument can be useful for designing and implementing specific educational interventions aimed at preventing academic doping, promoting an ethical and healthy academic environment.