Behavioral addiction: A scale development study from the perspective of opponent-process theory

In the study, the process of developing a reliable and valid "behavioral addiction" scale based on The Opponent-Process Theory is explicated. General survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The criterion sampling method was used in the selection of the sample. The study was conducted on a sample of 925 extreme sports participants, of which 120 were pre-trial and 805 were trial applications. The data regarding the pre-trial application and the trial application were collected through "Google Forms". Descriptive statistics, normal distribution analysis, item analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), convergent and discriminant validity, measurement reliability and floor-ceiling effects, and Receiver-Operation Characteristic Analysis (ROC) with data collected from extreme sports participants has been generated. Microsoft Office Excel, SPSS, and AMOS programs were benefited to analyze the collected data. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed using the " Principal Axis Factoring (PAF)" method and the "Promax" rotation method. The cut-off criterion was taken as 0.40 in the analysis. In addition, conditions such as overlapping items with similar load values under two factors at the same time, and the absence of fewer than three items under one factor was taken into account. It was determined that a structure consisting of twelve items with three factors emerged as a result of EFA and explained 68.220% of the total variance obtained after rotation. The factor load values of the items related to the structure vary between "0.45 and 0.93". The theoretical basis was adhered to in naming the measurement tool whose factor structure was determined. The structure determined by EFA was tested with First Level Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Second Level Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). As a result of First Level Confirmatory Factor Analysis (DFA), the fit index values related to the structure were determined as χ2/sd=1.47, RMSEA= 0.05, GFI= 0.86, AGFI= 0.80, IFI= 0.90, NFI= 0.89, TLI= 0.87 and CFI= 0.90. The factor loading values of the items related to the measurement tool ranged from 0.51 to 0.93. In order to use the total score of the measurement tool, Second Level Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed. As a result of the Second Level Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the fit index values related to the structure were determined as χ2/df=8.89, RMSEA= 0.08, GFI= 0.87, AGFI= 0.80, IFI= 0.91, NFI= 0.90, TLI= 0.88, and CFI= 0.91. The factor loading values of the items related to the measurement tool varied between 0.54 and 0.93. As a result of the analysis of the convergent and discriminant validity of the measurement tool, the AVE value for the Hedonic Contrast (HC) sub-dimension was 0.51, the √AVE value was 0.71, and the CR value was 0.80; The AVE value for the Tolerance (T) sub-dimension was 0.81, the √AVE value was 0.90, and the CR value was 0.94; AVE value for Hedonic Deprivation (HD) sub-dimension was calculated as 0.68, √AVE value as 0.82 and CR value as 0.89. It was determined that the correlation coefficient between the factors varied between 0.347 and 0.502. Internal consistency of the measurement tool was calculated with Cronbach's Alpha. Cronbach's Alpha reliability was found to have a high level of reliability for the measurements obtained from the "tolerance" and "hedonic withdrawal" factors in the EFA group and the "tolerance" and "hedonic deprivation" factors in the CFA group (EFA T: 0.94; HY:0.88, CFA T:0.93; HY:0.87). It was concluded that Cronbach Alpha reliability for the measurements obtained from the "hedonic opposition" in the EFA group and the "hedonic opposition" in the CFA group had a moderate level of reliability (EFA HK:0.79, CFA HK:0.71). The floor and ceiling effects of the measurement tool were also examined. When the scores obtained as a result of the analysis were examined, the ground score was determined as 13, and the highest base score as The scoring of the measurement tool was calculated by Recipient Operating Characteristic (ROC) Analysis using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and Scoring System According to Other Substance Abuse Criteria and cutoff criteria. As a result, it has been determined that the Behavioral Addiction Scale (BAS) developed within the scope of the thesis is a valid and reliable measurement tool.