The Smartphone Addiction Scale: Psychometric Properties, Invariance, Network Perspective, and Latent Profile Analysis Among a Sample of Chinese University Students

The Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) is one of commonly used measurement tools to assess smartphone addiction. However, studies concerning the psychometric properties, invariance, and network structure of the SAS as well as profiles of smartphone addiction are rare in China. Therefore, the psychometric properties of the SAS, its invariance and network structure, and a latent profile analysis were investigated among Chinese university students in the present study. A sample of 2531 participants from Chinese universities (1003 males [39.6%], mean age = 20.4 years [SD =1.3 years]) completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ), and the Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire (PCPU-Q). A total of 17 items were selected from the original SAS using item analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Psychometric properties and measurement invariance showed good validity and reliability for the revised Chinese Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-RC). In item-level and facet-level networks, "withdrawal" and "daily-life disturbance" had the stronger edge intensity. There were no significant differences in either network structure or global strength between males and females through the item-level and facet-level network comparison tests (NCTs). Three profiles of smartphone use (normal smartphone use, high-risk smartphone use, and smartphone addiction) were identified among Chinese university students. The SAS-RC demonstrates good psychometric properties and invariance and is suitable to use among Chinese university students. "Withdrawal" (i.e., psychological dependence) and "daily-life disturbance" appear to play contributory roles as core symptom of smartphone addiction. The three profiles also provide new insight into smartphone use and addiction among Chinese university students.