The development and validation of the Leisure Internet Usage Scale (LIUS)

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the main constructs related to internet usage for the purpose of leisure and develop a valid and reliable scale to analyse participation in internet activities. By reviewing the literature and the based-on semi-structured focus group interviews, the factors for the internet activity participation were determined. The data were collected from two different participant groups, and exploratory factor analysis (n = 283) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 307) were performed on the data respectively. The results showed that four factors were linked to leisure activity participation: i) information/self-improvement; ii) shopping, iii) multimedia usage, and iv) social interaction. The validity of the scale was calculated through content, convergent, and divergent validity tests. Internal consistency and stability of the scale were determined through Cronbach’s alpha and Pearson correlation coefficients. In conclusion, the findings revealed that Leisure Internet Usage Scale was a valid and reliable instrument.

KEYWORDS:

• Leisure
• internet
• activity
• validity
• reliability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Eskişehir Teknik Üniversitesi [150S387].

Notes on contributors

Kerem Yıldırım Şimşek

Kerem Yıldırım ŞİMŞEK is a Professor from the Department of Recreation at the Eskisehir Technical University of Turkey. His primary research and teaching interests are commercial recreation, leisure and recreation management, event management, and sports and events consumer behaviors. He is studying and consulting in many areas such as Business Management of Recreation, Commercial Recreation, Recreation Park and Sports Organizations.

Hüseyin Çevik

Hüseyin Çevik is originally an Associate Professor from the Department of Recreation at the Eskisehir Technical University of Turkey. However, he is currently a visiting scholar at the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia, USA. His primary research and teaching interests are leisure and recreation management, event management, sports tourism, and sports and events consumer behaviors. His research has been published in international journals such as Loisir et Société / Society and Leisure, Managing Sport and Leisure, Tourism: An International Interdisciplinary Journal, and International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship.