Researches on Internet
Co-dependence Scales
Tung-Yun Chi and Kuang-Hui Chiu
Department of Business Administration,
National Taipei University, Taiwan
1
Introduction

Following the gradually popular and diverse
applications, the network activities in forum,
game, BLOG, Micro-blog, social networks have
entered users’ life turning out to be an
achievement of “The number of online”,
“Popularity”, “Appraisal”, “Integration”, and
“Human Connection” accumulated by users’
constant online and operation.
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
The previous researches were specialized in
terms of systematic quality or users’ behaviors to
interpret the cause--- why users will constantly
use such systems or network, but short of the
discussion in respect of psychological level.
Therefore, this research intends to use the
psychological co-dependence theory to expound
the fact that users are mainly for maintaining the
interaction with other cyber-friends or keeping
their achievements, as a theoretical basis and
measuring instrument for follow-up researchers
who study on the reason why users continuously
use network game, Blog, or social websites.
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Co-dependence

Co-dependence was originated from the
therapeutic domain of the alcoholic family in
1940s. In the very beginning, Co-dependence
was deemed as a condition caused by the
pressure of living with the addictive patient. The
families (often the alcoholic’s wife) felt shame,
fear, pain, and indignation due to the alcoholic’s
excessive behavior out of control.
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
However, as the alcoholic became increasingly
sober, the Co-dependence with families would
have continuously sustained, sometimes, even
become deteriorating, obviously, the families
suffered from another kind of disease. Before
long, the therapists discovered the concealed
cause of the disease actually had been rooted
before the alcoholic was addicted to drugs or
alcohol.
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
Hughes-Hammer , Martsolf , and
Zeller(1998)believed, Co-dependence is a mutual
reliance upon human, further to control ego’s
internal emotion, so the co-dependants may be
so involved by another man that affects his own
behavior. This argument is similar to the
invisible force in network’s virtual world. The
previously relevant researches did not take Codependence as an exploring variable, so this
study now is using this comment as a starting
point.
6
Co-dependence Questionnaire of
the Psychology

To design a Co-dependence questionnaire
consistent with network environment, we refer
to lots of assessment scales currently used in
psychological references, the content of which
may be divided into seven categories specified.
7
Definition of Network Codependence

Because there was no research in respect of
applying Co-dependence theory onto network in
the past, this study defines such researches as--various behaviors like online game, making
friends, or writing diary look simple, but in real
situation it is an effect derived from the
interdependent relationship and the interaction
among users in virtual world.
8

In the online game, users unceasingly join in the
game for their accumulated experience values
and for their team members. In the BLOG,
users continuously publish articles to keep their
popularity indexes, or simply for their
popularities, or for readers who support the
author. Users in the friend-making website carry
on their exercises to recognize more friends or
accumulate the number of friends or gifts.
9

Therefore, what’s so-called the “Network Codependence” means an interacting relation
between the user and the other in the virtual
world, turning into an interdependent effect.
The discrepancy between Co-dependence and
Flow Model (or internet addition disorder)
consists in---the Co-dependence effect is not a
selfless effect, but a motive force driving users
to use the same system, game, BLOG, or microblog to maintain his relationship with the others.
10
Research Design

This research is adopting the cross-sectional
survey research method, and collecting relevant
data by structural questionnaire, expecting to
discover and analyze the Co-dependence effect
in network activities by establishment of this
scale for relevant industries able to know more
about users’ behaviors in network.
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Studying Objects

The object in this research is the network users
in Taiwan.
12
Questionnaire Design

To come close to the spirit of the Codependence theory, this research refers to the
five scales of FCA,CAQ, SF CDS, CdQ, and
CODAT, and adjusts the lexicon used in
network environment comprising 56 subjects.
13
Experts Validity

Examine the professional validity with two
experts many a time (include the psychiatric
nursing lecture with Master’s degree and manyyear clinical experiences and the lecture
specialized in data expertise); in addition to
delete 30 controversial and overlapping subjects,
other subjects are acceptable (modified only the
part of sentences)
14
Questionnaire Framework

The content includes two parts:
1. Questionnaire Content.
2. Basic Information.
15
Pilot Study

Prior to the formal presentation, a pilot study
has been applied onto 40 academic students to
realize the compatibility of questionnaire’s
content, and a prior inspection is held to check
on its validity and credibility, targeting at the
predicament and problem likely to be faced in
the process of studying research. Cronbach’s α
= 0.91; the relevant coefficient among various
perspectives is less than 0.7, thus, the
discriminant validity is quite well.
16
Surveying Period and the
Number of Sample

Accomplishing the pilot study, we use the
function of Google Docs to produce a network
questionnaire, and call on users in facebook,
Yahoo Blog, online game, and friend-making
website to fill in it. The surveying period starts
from Apr. 5, 2011 (19:56: 05) to Apr. 25,
2011(17:16:28); total 217 copies of the
questionnaires are retrieved, and the effective
questionnaires are 188 copies, culling out the
incomplete ones.
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Basic Data Analyses

This research is using the function of Google
Docs to produce the network questionnaire,
retrieving total 217 copies. The invalid
questionnaires are 29 copies and the valid one is
188 copies after the filtration of basic and
essential data and the deletion of those with
omissions or answers with obvious regularity.
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Interviewees’ basic information
Variables
Gender
Educational Level
Age
Occupation
Item
Number of Persons
Percentage
Female
83
44.1%
Male
105
55.9%
Elementary School
4
2.1%
Middle and High School
9
4.8%
College / University
146
77.7%
Master/ Doctor
29
15.4%
Minority
7
3.7%
20～29
52
27.7%
30～39
89
47.3%
40～49
33
17.6%
50+
7
3.7%
Service Trade
41
21.8%
Financing Business
20
10.6%
Military/Public Servant/Teacher
29
15.4%
Design Trade
10
5.3%
None
21
11.2%
Manufacturers
43
22.9%
Students
24
12.8%
19
Credibility

Credibility means the conformity and stability of
the questionnaire measured. This research
adopts the coefficient of Cronbach’s α to
determine questionnaires’ internal conformity.
List 3 is the credibility analyses of the studied
questionnaire. The value of Cronbach’s alpha in
all studied subjects is higher than 0.7, and its
integral value is as high as 0.927, thus, it has a
certain level of credibility.
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Exploratory factor analyses, EFA

For this study belongs to an exploratory
research, we have no default position to all
information, which is no more than a simplified
observing value. All dimensions in this research,
its KMO value is higher than 0.5, demonstrating
it has the embedded factor.
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KMO-test Summary List for Each
Dimension
Construct
Low Self-vale
Others’ focal
point/Selfnegligence
Hidden Selfhood
Identify virtual
world
Self-identified in
appearance
KMO
0.636
0.676
0.703
0.747
0.807
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
Upon the completion of KMO-test, we proceed
with exploratory factor analyses, select Eigen
vale (which is larger than 1), and spin the
Varimax rotating shaft; the absolute value of the
factor loading shall be higher than 0.6, and the
difference of the factor loading must be higher
than 0.3. Subject 7 and 10 shall be eliminated
because its factor loading is less than 0.6, but the
five dimensions of Co-dependence still maintain
their original designs. At last, we refer to the
questions consisted of the factors, then, adjust
and denominate it as a formal assessment chart
and a Summary List 5.
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Factor Analysis Summary List per
Dimension
Construct
Factor
Question
Factor
Loading
Eigenvalue
Explain
Variance
Low Self-vale
Respect the network
value
61.882
Emphasize
Interactions
2.094
69.816
Hidden Selfhood
Attention Transfer
2.264
45.281
Identify virtual
world
Network
Accomplishment
2.907
58.145
Self-identified in
appearance
Form a virtual image
on network
0.817
0.699
0.837
0.866
0.771
0.866
0.794
0.760
0.832
0.747
0.806
0.815
0.707
0.732
0.815
0.888
0.893
0.852
1.856
Others’ focal
point/Self-negligence
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
2.976
74.407
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Conclusion and
follow-up research

In accordance with the analyses made in this
research, what’s so called the interactive
relationship is no other than an effect of codependence, demonstrating that users behave in
order to maintain a relation with other users, in
addition to the tangible “Experience Value”,
which comprises Blog, micro-blog, social group,
making friends, popularity index or the number
of persons or assessment at an auction website,
and the merit, grade, treasure, and alliance in the
online game.
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Thank you for your patience
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