Development and Psychometric Validation of the Chinese Online Disinhibition Scale for Adolescents.

Abstract

Online disinhibition significantly influences adolescents' communication and behaviors in digital environments, yet culturally adapted measurement tools remain limited in China. This study aimed to develop and validate a Chinese version of the Online Disinhibition Scale (ODS-C) based on Suler's (2004) theoretical framework. We translated and adapted Cheung et al.'s (2020) questionnaire through rigorous forward and backward translation protocols. Using a calibration sample (n = 686), we tested the scale's internal structure, reliability, and construct validity. A cross-validation sample (n = 687) was subsequently employed to verify and select the optimal internal structure of the ODS-C, assess measurement invariance across gender, and examine criterion validity based on relationships with internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration. The final ODS-C demonstrated a hierarchical five-factor structure, in which dissociative anonymity and invisibility functioned as two distinct first-order factors subsumed under a higher-order anonymity factor, while the remaining four dimensions-asynchronicity, solipsistic introjection, dissociative imagination, and minimization of authority-operated as independent first-order factors. Results indicate that the ODS-C demonstrates high internal consistency, robust construct validity, and significant criterion validity. Evidence of measurement invariance confirmed the stability of the factor structure, loadings, and variances across genders. The ODS-C provides researchers and practitioners with a reliable and valid tool for assessing online disinhibition among Chinese adolescents, facilitating more culturally informed interventions and policies addressing digital behavior.