Validation of the Expected Social Acceptance via Internet Gaming Scale (ESAIGS) Among Adolescent Internet Gamers in China

The outcome expectancy of social acceptance via internet gaming potentially contributes to internet gaming disorder (IGD) among adolescents. To better understand the relationship, this study developed and validated the 6-item Expected Social Acceptance via Internet Gaming Scale (ESAIGS) among 2339 adolescent internet gamers via a classroom survey in Guangzhou and Chengdu, China from October to December 2018. The prevalence of IGD was 18.0%. By using two half-split subsamples, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified and confirmed a unidimensional structure of the ESAIGS, respectively. The ESAIGS showed satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, composite reliability, and absence of ceiling effect, although a slight-to-moderate floor effect was observed. It also demonstrated convergent and concurrent validity showing significant positive correlations with the three external variables (IGD, internet gaming time, and perceived rewards of internet gaming). Hence, the validated ESAIGS can be applied to assess expected social acceptance via internet gaming among adolescents in China.