Digital Technology Preoccupation Scale

Abstract

The Digital Technology Preoccupation Scale (DTPS), developed by Topić, Brkljačić, & Brajša‐Žganec in 2023, is a specialized Rating Scale designed to quantitatively measure the degree to which children are engrossed with digital technology (DT). This instrument is composed of five core items, which were uniquely generated based on children’s self-reported observations regarding the significance of DT in their daily routines.

The development process included an extensive review of existing academic literature concerning childhood media use and prior research conducted by the authors. The scale underwent rigorous psychometric evaluation using a sample of elementary school students (aged 8 to 13) drawn from two distinct counties in Croatia. Key findings from the validation study confirmed the scale’s strong internal consistency and established a clear unidimensional structure via factor analysis.

Keywords

Digital Technology, Preoccupation, Childhood Development, Screen Time, Human Computer Interaction Measures, Psychological Assessment, Croatian Youth

Authors

Topić, Marina Kotrla; Brkljačić, Tihana; Brajša-Žganec, Andreja

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the DTPS is to provide researchers and practitioners with a concise, quantifiable metric for assessing children’s emotional attachment and perceived reliance on digital tools. It specifically aims to capture the intensity of children’s “affection” toward digital technology.

By quantifying the level of importance children attribute to these technologies, the scale serves as an indicator of potential excessive engagement or dependency, allowing for a better understanding of the interplay between DT use and developmental outcomes, such as life satisfaction.

Construct

The DTPS measures the psychological construct of Digital Technology Preoccupation. This construct refers to the degree to which an individual’s thoughts, emotions, and daily activities are dominated or significantly influenced by the presence or anticipated use of digital devices and media.

Unlike scales focusing purely on screen time duration, the DTPS measures the subjective psychological significance of the technology to the child, encompassing both their emotional investment (affection) and the perceived necessity (importance) of DT in their everyday environment.

Validity

Currently, explicit data regarding various forms of validity (e.g., criterion validity or convergent validity) for the Digital Technology Preoccupation Scale is not detailed in the primary source documentation. Further research is warranted to establish comprehensive validity metrics.

Reliability

The reliability of the DTPS was assessed primarily through its internal consistency.

The computed value for Cronbach’s alpha, a widely accepted measure of how closely related a set of items are as a group, was reported as 0.802. This value is generally considered highly acceptable in psychometric evaluation, indicating that the five items consistently measure the same underlying construct of preoccupation.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis was utilized during the psychometric validation process to determine the latent structure of the scale items. The analysis provided clear evidence supporting a unidimensional structure.

This finding confirms that the DTPS measures a single, coherent psychological construct (Digital Technology Preoccupation). Furthermore, this single factor successfully accounted for 56.7% of the total variance observed in the responses, suggesting strong homogeneity among the scale items.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Rating Scale

Format: The instrument uses a four-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 to 4. Scoring is calculated as the average of the responses across all five items. A lower numerical value signifies lower preoccupation with digital technology, while higher average scores indicate a greater level of preoccupation.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human (Male and Female)

Age Group: The scale is suitable for use across Childhood (birth–12 yrs), School Age (6–12 yrs), and early Adolescence (13–17 yrs).

Population Details: The original validation study involved elementary school pupils in Croatia, specifically targeting children aged 8 to 13 years old.

Test Methodology: The validation methodology included assessment of Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, and Factor Analysis. The administration method for the original data collection was paper-based.

Keywords

Psychological Assessment, Unidimensional Structure, Childhood Media Use, Technology Dependence, Croatian Studies

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier:

• Brkljačić, Tihana: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8120-9540

Affiliation Email addresses:

• Topić, Marina Kotrla: Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, [email protected]

• Brkljačić, Tihana: Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar

• Brajša-Žganec, Andreja: Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar

Correspondence Address:

• Topić, Marina Kotrla: Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Marulićev trg 19/I, Zagreb, Croatia, 10000, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Researchers interested in utilizing the scale must contact the corresponding author, Marina Kotrla Topić, for permission.

Commercial Use: No

Fee: No

Test Year: 2023

Reference’s

• Topić, M. K., Brkljačić, T., & Brajša‐Žganec, A. (2023). Digital technology use and preoccupation with digital technology as predictors of life satisfaction in children. Child & Family Social Work, 28(4), 1131–1138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13032

The development of the scale was also informed by prior research and literature, including:

• Buckingham, D. (2006).
• Fitton et al. (2013).
• Hutchby & Moran-Ellis (2001).
• Livingstone & Bovill (2001).
• Consortium of the ‘ADD-Free Training’ project (2022).
• Kotrla Topić & Perković Kovačević (2017).

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Items of the Digital Technology Preoccupation Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

This is a 5-item measure. No data is Available regarding the specific content of the items.