Development and Validation of the Survey of Knowledge of Internet Risk and Internet Behavior

• Published in: Educational and psychological measurement Vol. 71; no. 1; pp. 217 - 230
• Main Authors: Gable, Robert K., Ludlow, Larry H., McCoach, D. Betsy, Kite, Stacey L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-02-2011; Sage Publications; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Applied psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Bullying; Classification; Construct Validity; Content Validity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender Differences; Grade 7; Grade 8; Internet; Knowledge Level; Latent class analysis; Measures (Individuals); Middle School Students; Miscellaneous; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rasch model; Risk; Surveys; Rasch analysis; survey of Internet risk; latent class analysis; Human; Psychometrics; Latent class analysis; Rasch model; Knowledge; Test validation; Survey; Risk factor; Internet; Sample survey; Test construction
• ISSN: 0013-1644; 1552-3888
• DOI: 10.1177/0013164410387389

The development of the Survey of Knowledge of Internet Risk and Internet Behavior is described. A total of 1,366 Grades 7 and 8 male and female students from an urban, suburban, and rural school offered agree—disagree responses to 26 statements defining one Knowledge Scale and five behavior dimensions. Literature-based support is presented for content validity. Construct validity support for the hypothesized dimensions is provided through Rasch model analysis of the Knowledge Scale supporting a unidimensional, hierarchically ordered scale. Latent class analyses provided support for the utility of the five categorical behavioral dimensions. Implications for instrument developers and educators are discussed.