Internet Consequences Questionnaire: A Pilot Study

Abstract

As internet use has become nearly ubiquitous, problems related to internet use have become more pervasive. Identifying factors that promote internet use is an important first step in developing effective interventions. The preliminary Internet Consequences Questionnaire (ICQ-P) is a new functional behavioral assessment that measures the degree to which people's internet use is maintained by six different behavioral functions. In this pilot study, 61 psychology students completed the ICQ-P and a brief measure of problematic internet use, the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ). Students with YDQ scores < 3 endorsed items related to attention and escape from demand more than other items. Students with YDQ scores ≥ 3 endorsed sensory reinforcement, demand, social avoidance, and private events more than students with lower YDQ scores. They also endorsed escape from demand and private events more than any other behavioral functions. The variability in responses to the ICQ-P and the systematic differences in responses of students with high and low YDQ scores provide evidence that the ICQ-P can be used to investigate possible functional relations. Thus, the ICQ-P may be useful in informing targeted interventions that address the specific reinforcement dynamics identified in individual cases of people seeking to change their internet use.