Assessing the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test: A study on a sample of Italian university students

The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the 20-item Internet Addiction Test (IAT) among a sample of 659 Italian university students enrolled in several degree courses in the same university. The data collected was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses by using robust statistical models. Results from exploratory factorial analysis suggested removing items 4 and 7 of the IAT. The final 18-items of the IAT were covered by a two-factor model which demonstrated good psychometric properties, and fits well with the data. Pearson's correlation results indicated that the two-factor model satisfied the criteria of convergent and divergent validity. The present study confirms that the IAT is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring Internet addiction. At the same time, the study suggests that some items of the IAT needs to be improved. Practical implications for further studies are provided as a conclusion.