The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS): A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents

María Eugenia Fernández Pintos

doi:10.1556/2006.2025.00005

The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS): A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents

María Eugenia Fernández Pintos

Departamento de Psicología

Producción científica: Contribución a una revista › Artículo › revisión exhaustiva

2 Citas (Scopus)

Resumen

Idioma original	Inglés
Páginas (desde-hasta)	220-245
Número de páginas	26
Publicación	Journal of Behavioral Addictions
Volumen	14
N.º	1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.00005
Estado	Publicada - 28 mar. 2025

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10.1556/2006.2025.00005

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title = "The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS): A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents",

abstract = "Background and aims: Despite the last decade{\textquoteright}s significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, thisarea of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namelythe need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that showscross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studieson this phenomenon. Methods: An initial 16-item questionnaire,developed within an addiction framework, was administeredalongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in atotal sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.24 years). Results: Based ontheoretical premises and psychometric testing, the InternationalWork Addiction Scale (IWAS) was developed as a short measurerepresenting essential features of work addiction. The seven-itemversion (IWAS-7), covering all seven components of work addiction, showed partial scalar invariance across 81 cultures, while thefive-item version (IWAS-5) showed it across all 85 cultures. Higherlevels of work addiction on both versions were associated withhigher job stress, lower job satisfaction, and lower self-esteemacross cultures. The optimal cut-offs for the IWAS-7 (24 points)and IWAS-5 (18 points) were established with an overall accuracyof 96% for both versions. Discussion and conclusions: The IWAS isa valid, reliable, and short screening scale that can be used indifferent cultures and languages, providing comparative andgeneralizable results. The scale can be used globally in clinical andorganizational settings, with the IWAS-5 being recommendedfor most practical and clinical situations. This is the first study toprovide data supporting the hypothesis that work addiction is auniversal phenomenon worldwide",

keywords = "Bergen Work Addiction Scale, compulsive overworking, cross-cultural, validation study, work addiction, workaholism",

author = "{Fern{\'a}ndez Pintos}, {Mar{\'i}a Eugenia}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s).",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1556/2006.2025.00005",

language = "Ingl{\'e}s",

volume = "14",

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T1 - The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS): A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents

AU - Fernández Pintos, María Eugenia

PY - 2025/3/28

Y1 - 2025/3/28

N2 - Background and aims: Despite the last decade’s significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, thisarea of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namelythe need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that showscross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studieson this phenomenon. Methods: An initial 16-item questionnaire,developed within an addiction framework, was administeredalongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in atotal sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.24 years). Results: Based ontheoretical premises and psychometric testing, the InternationalWork Addiction Scale (IWAS) was developed as a short measurerepresenting essential features of work addiction. The seven-itemversion (IWAS-7), covering all seven components of work addiction, showed partial scalar invariance across 81 cultures, while thefive-item version (IWAS-5) showed it across all 85 cultures. Higherlevels of work addiction on both versions were associated withhigher job stress, lower job satisfaction, and lower self-esteemacross cultures. The optimal cut-offs for the IWAS-7 (24 points)and IWAS-5 (18 points) were established with an overall accuracyof 96% for both versions. Discussion and conclusions: The IWAS isa valid, reliable, and short screening scale that can be used indifferent cultures and languages, providing comparative andgeneralizable results. The scale can be used globally in clinical andorganizational settings, with the IWAS-5 being recommendedfor most practical and clinical situations. This is the first study toprovide data supporting the hypothesis that work addiction is auniversal phenomenon worldwide

AB - Background and aims: Despite the last decade’s significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, thisarea of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namelythe need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that showscross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studieson this phenomenon. Methods: An initial 16-item questionnaire,developed within an addiction framework, was administeredalongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in atotal sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.24 years). Results: Based ontheoretical premises and psychometric testing, the InternationalWork Addiction Scale (IWAS) was developed as a short measurerepresenting essential features of work addiction. The seven-itemversion (IWAS-7), covering all seven components of work addiction, showed partial scalar invariance across 81 cultures, while thefive-item version (IWAS-5) showed it across all 85 cultures. Higherlevels of work addiction on both versions were associated withhigher job stress, lower job satisfaction, and lower self-esteemacross cultures. The optimal cut-offs for the IWAS-7 (24 points)and IWAS-5 (18 points) were established with an overall accuracyof 96% for both versions. Discussion and conclusions: The IWAS isa valid, reliable, and short screening scale that can be used indifferent cultures and languages, providing comparative andgeneralizable results. The scale can be used globally in clinical andorganizational settings, with the IWAS-5 being recommendedfor most practical and clinical situations. This is the first study toprovide data supporting the hypothesis that work addiction is auniversal phenomenon worldwide

KW - Bergen Work Addiction Scale

KW - compulsive overworking

KW - cross-cultural

KW - validation study

KW - work addiction

KW - workaholism

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U2 - 10.1556/2006.2025.00005

DO - 10.1556/2006.2025.00005

M3 - Artículo

SN - 2062-5871

VL - 14

SP - 220

EP - 245

JO - Journal of Behavioral Addictions

JF - Journal of Behavioral Addictions

IS - 1

ER -