Psychometric Properties and Norm Values of the German Version of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS)

A reliable and economic assessment of Internet addiction is essential for the epidemiological characterization and the development of interventions. The Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) assesses core elements of Internet addiction using 14 items. However, no population-based norm values are available for the German version. The present study sought to provide psychometric properties and norm values for a German CIUS version. From the general population, 8,132 subjects (14-64 years) with private Internet use for one hour or more on at least one working or weekend day per week answered the CIUS items. The data revealed good psychometric properties for the CIUS. The norm values can be used for comparisons between individual CIUS sum scores and the CIUS sum score distribution within the internet-using population.