Exploring the psychometric properties of the Cyberbullying Attitude Scale (CBAS) and its relation with teasing and gratitude in Indian collegiates

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Cyberbullying Attitude Scale (CBAS) in Indian college students with the help of two independent studies.Design/methodology/approachThe first study investigated the factorial validity of the scale using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), resulting in a seven-item, two-component model of CBAS. Two statements were excluded owing to inadequate factor loading. The second study evaluated the reliability and criterion validity of the model extracted after CFA using the Weight-Based Teasing Scale (WBTS), PhQ9 as convergent indices and Gratitude Questionnaire 6 (GQ6) as divergent indices.FindingsIt was observed that the Indian version of the scale differs from the original version in two ways. First, the Indian CBAS comprised seven items, while the original CBAS consisted of nine items. Second, in the original CBAS, two factors of cyberbullying, i.e. hostile cyberbullying attitudes (HCA) and general cyberbullying characteristics (GCC), contained five and four statements, respectively. However, the Indian CBAS comprised five and two statements, respectively. Further, the Indian CBAS showed convergence with WBTS and PhQ9 and divergence with GQ6.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to explore the psychometric properties of Indian CBAS and its relations with teasing and gratitude.