Validating the media, morality, and youth questionnaire (MMaYQue): A scale to assess media preference and moral judgment of antisocial media content

The aim of this study was to test the psychometric quality of a scale to measure adolescents' preferences and moral judgements of media portraying antisocial, risky and norm-crossing behaviours, titled the Media, Morality, and Youth Questionnaire (MMaYQue). We applied confirmatory factor analyses with two independent samples of adolescents (N = 666 and 780). A model with method effects and two correlated constructs (i.e., media preferences and moral judgements), fitted the data best and measurement invariance was confirmed. In addition, the MMaYQue successfully discriminates between groups and significantly correlates with relevant personality traits and related measures, supporting good discriminant, convergent and criterion validity of the MMaYQue. Findings provide evidence for the validity and applicability of the MMaYQue in various research designs, including experiments, to incorporate media use in research regarding youth and adolescent development.