Measuring Immersion, Involvement, and Attention Focusing Tendencies in the Mediated Environment: The Applicability of the Immersive Tendencies Questionnaire

Sándor Rózsa; Rita Hargitai; András Láng; Anikó Osváth; Ernő Hupuczi; István Tamás; János Kállai

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.931955

Measuring Immersion, Involvement, and Attention Focusing Tendencies in the Mediated Environment: The Applicability of the Immersive Tendencies Questionnaire

Front Psychol. 2022 Jul 14:13:931955. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.931955. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Sándor Rózsa¹, Rita Hargitai², András Láng³, Anikó Osváth⁴, Ernő Hupuczi⁵, István Tamás⁵, János Kállai⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Personality and Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary.
² Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary.
³ Institute of Psychology, Art and Science Faculties, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
⁵ Department of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.

Abstract

This study explores the personal predispositions and dependencies while individuals use digital media and communication devices and analyses the statistical features of the Immersive Tendencies Questionnaire (ITQ) that is popular in assessing the personality trait-dependent reaction to mediated environments. The study evaluated 781 healthy graduates and postgraduates, of which 192 were men (average age: 28.6 years) and 589 were women (average age: 28.4 years). We applied several questionnaires to measure immersive tendencies in a mediated environment, adaptive and maladaptive personality predispositions, and problematic Internet use and Facebook addiction scales. We analyze the statistical features of the long and short forms of the Immersive Tendencies Questionnaire. The data obtained support the reliable usage of the short form of the instrument. The factor structure of the questionnaire presents dual facets. First, it indicates an absorptive and immersive tendency in any case of maladaptive tendencies. Second, it reflects an intensive capability to focus on the mediated environment with adequate cognitive control to avoid any contingency of being addicted. The short form of the ITQ is reliable and adequate to assess the relationship between the self-referred and environment-dependent psychological functions.

Keywords: Facebook addiction; absorption; immersion; internet addiction; mental health; social adaptation.