Development of a Self-Administrated Transdiagnostic Measurement for Compulsivity in Addictive Behaviors: The Chinese Compulsivity Trait Scale.

Abstract

Objectives: Compulsivity signifies a tendency towards repetitive and persistent actions in spite of negative consequences. Compulsive symptoms are at the core of different addictive disorders, such as substance use disorders, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. This study aims to develop a brief self-administrated scale for measuring trait compulsivity across various addictive behaviors in the context of Chinese culture.

Methods: The 20-item Chinese Compulsivity Trait Scale (CCTS) was developed based on a theoretical conceptualization of compulsivity. A total of 2315 young adults were then recruited to complete the CCTS along with a series of other scales, including the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Validity and reliability of the CCTS were assessed with multiple analyses.

Results: The CCTS exhibited excellent reliability and validity. The Cronbach's α was 0.872, and the one-month test-retest reliability was 0.863. Exploratory factor analysis extracted four first-order factors with an eigenvalue over 1, explaining 50.23% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor model, showing a reasonable model fit. The CCTS score significantly correlated with the OCI-R, FTND, AUDIT, SOGS, and IGDS scores (r=0.383-0.682, p<0.001), showing good concurrent and criterion-related validity. The correlations of the CCTS score with the SDS and GAD-7 scores were not significant (r=0.014-0.020, p>0.05), indicating reasonable discriminant validity.

Conclusion: The CCTS demonstrated sound psychometric properties among these non-clinical young adults. This scale might serve as a validated tool for evaluating transdiagnostic trait compulsivity across diverse addictive problems, including both substance use disorders and behavioral addictions. Further investigations should be conducted in clinical patient populations to verify the adaptability of the CCTS.