Turkish Adaptation Study of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale

The widespread use of the internet in daily life has brought significant changes to individuals' personal and social lives. While the positive effects of internet use are undeniable, excessive and uncontrolled use has led to serious psychological and social problems. Compulsive internet use is a specific subset of problematic internet use, characterized by behaviors such as loss of control, mental preoccupation, withdrawal symptoms, and disruptions in daily life. This study aimed to adapt the Compulsive Internet Use Scale, developed by Meerkerk et al. (2009), into Turkish and evaluate its validity and reliability. The scale was translated and culturally adapted following standard procedures, including translation, back-translation, and expert evaluation. Data were collected from 400 participants aged 18–24 years. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional structure of the scale, consistent with its original version. Reliability analyses revealed a high internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.917). The findings indicate that the Turkish version of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing compulsive internet use. This study fills a significant gap in the Turkish literature and provides a comprehensive measurement tool for future research and clinical applications. Keywords: Compulsive internet use, internet addiction, scale adaptation, validity, reliability