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Reliability, factor structure, and criterion validity: testing the problematic social media use scale in Chinese
Manyun Li1, Tieqiao Liu1, Xuyi Wang1
1Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
Peerj
|May 18, 2026
Summary
Problematic social media use (PSUM) is prevalent in college students. This study validated the Problematic Social Media Use Scale (PSMUS) in Chinese students, finding it a reliable tool for assessing PSUM and its impact on self-regulation and negative outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Digital Health
Background:
- Problematic social media use (PSUM) is increasingly prevalent among college students globally.
- A lack of standardized clinical definitions and assessment tools hinders the identification and characterization of PSUM.
- Caplan's cognitive-behavioral model offers a potential framework for understanding generalized problematic internet use, applicable to PSUM.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the psychometric properties of Caplan's cognitive-behavioral model within the context of PSUM.
- To validate the Chinese version of the Problematic Social Media Use Scale (PSMUS) for assessing PSUM in Chinese college students.
- To examine the relationships between preference for online social interaction (POSI), mood regulation, self-regulation, and negative social media outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Administered the Chinese version of the PSMUS, comprising five subscales (POSI, mood regulation, cognitive preoccupation, compulsive use, negative outcomes), to a sample of Chinese college students.
- Utilized confirmatory factor analysis to assess the feasibility of Caplan's model in the context of PSUM.
- Employed structural equation modeling to analyze the relationships between key variables, including POSI, mood regulation, self-regulation, and negative social media outcomes.
Main Results:
- Confirmatory factor analysis supported the applicability of Caplan's model to PSUM.
- Structural equation modeling indicated that POSI significantly influenced negative social media outcomes, both directly and indirectly through mood-regulation-oriented PSUM and deficient self-regulation.
- The model explained a substantial portion (72%) of the variance in negative social media outcomes, with a strong association (β = 0.85, p < .001).
Conclusions:
- The Chinese version of the PSMUS demonstrates adequate psychometric properties for use with Chinese college students.
- The findings support the utility of the PSMUS as a valid instrument for assessing PSUM in this population.
- The study provides empirical support for Caplan's cognitive-behavioral model in understanding the mechanisms underlying PSUM.
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