Reliability and factorial validity of the cross-media self-presence questionnaire (CM-SPQ)

The aim of this study was to develop the Cross-Media Self-Presence Questionnaire (CM-SPQ) for assessing self-presence in a broader range of digital contexts in comparison to the Self-Presence Questionnaire (SPQ) and to subsequently examine its reliability and factorial validity. The SPQ was introduced in 2009 (Ratan & Hasler, 2009) and later examined and developed by Ratan and co-authors (Rattan, 2010, 2011; Ratan & Hasler, 2010; Ratan & Sah, 2014; Ratan & Dawson, 2016). The CM-SPQ was crafted in this study, tailored to measure self-presence in diverse digital environments. Reliability and factorial validity of the CM-SPQ were assessed using data from Latvian active Internet users (n = 227), aged from 13 to 65 years old (M = 26.6, SD = 8.4). An exploratory principal-axis factor analysis with an oblique rotation was employed to evaluate its factorial validity. Three factors emerged from the analysis, interpreted as (1) Body-level self-presence (F1: the experience of physical presence and embodiment), (2) Identity-level self-presence (F2: the subjective experience of the self-emerging from an individual's digital interactions and the way they are perceived by others), and (3) Emotion-level self-presence (F3: the affective responses individuals have during digital interactions). The three distinct factors displayed high internal consistency, and the composite measures of each self-presence level were interrelated. The CM-SPQ, a novel instrument, aligns with psychometric standards, facilitating research on self-presence across various digital environments among individuals with digital identities. •Exploratory principal-axis factor analysis supports the three-factor structure of the Cross-Media Self-Presence Questionnaire (CM-SPQ): Body-level self-presence, Identity-level self-presence, and Emotion-level self-presence.•High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) observed for each factor: Body-level self-presence (0.86), Emotion-level self-presence (0.80), and Identity-level self-presence (0.85).•Positive interrelations found between the levels of self-presence, indicating the interconnectedness of these dimensions.•The CM-SPQ demonstrates reliability and factorial validity, making it suitable for assessing self-presence among online users with digital identities across various platforms.•The study provides evidence supporting the universality of the self-presence framework and the stability of the three-level self-presence model across different socio-cultura