Arab Educational Information Network

This study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Apathy Assessment Scale among a sample of university students who actively use TikTok. The research was motivated by the growing societal concerns in Egypt, where social media content creators frequently engage in behaviors that violate ethical standards, often prioritizing rapid financial gain over meaningful contributions. This study adopts a psychological lens to examine apathy, diverging from previous research that predominantly emphasized neurological and medical perspectives. A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing the translated version of Martin’s form of the 18-item Apathy Scale. 197 participants of both genders were selected by voluntary random sampling method. Informed consent was obtained from all participants following the ethical guidelines, clearly communicating their rights and obligations. Importantly, no incentives were provided for participation in the study. Data analysis was conducted using Jamovi 2.5.6 software, chosen for its suitability in handling ordinal data. The initial analysis relied on confirmatory factor analysis to assess the theoretical three-subscale structure of apathy. However, the results indicated that the proposed structure did not adequately fit the data from the sample drawn from Suez Canal University. To address this issue, exploratory structural equation modeling was employed, allowing the scale items to load freely onto factors, thereby offering a more accurate reflection of the psychological dimensions of apathy within this population. The study identified a unique, valid, and reliable factor structure applicable to university students who use the TikTok platform. Based on these findings, the study recommends the implementation of university seminars aimed at reducing apathy and the distortion of self-concept, which can result from engagement with superficial and non-substantive content. Such content may place its creators at risk of legal repercussions due to violations of societal and ethical norms. (Published abstract)