Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Digital Stress Scale in a Chinese College Sample

Abstract

The Digital Stress Scale (DSS) is used to measure digital stress, which is the perceived stress and anxiety associated with social media use. In this study, the Chinese version of the DSS was validated using a sample of 721 Chinese college students, 321 males and 400 females (KMO = 0.923; Bartlett = 5,058.492, p < .001). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) revealed that the five-factor model fits our data best. And the good criterion validity was shown through the association of the Chinese version of the DSS with anxiety and depression. The results of measurement invariance supported that the scale has measurement equivalence across the region (rural or urban). However, they did not support strict measurement invariance across gender. Overall, our results suggest that the DSS is an ideal tool for measuring digital stress in a Chinese sample. People can benefit from assessing digital stress, which has the potential to moderate the relationship between social media use and mental health. These psychometric investigations of the DSS will allow future research to investigate construct validity better.