AUTHOR=Stöven Lynne Marie , Herzberg Philipp Yorck , Ibrahim Fabio 

TITLE=Navigating virtual selves: validation of the German version of the presentation of online self scale

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1435691

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1435691

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=�e Presentation of Online Self Scale for Adults (POSSA), originally developed by Strimbu and    colleagues (2021), is a well-regarded instrument for assessing online self-presentation. �is study evaluated the factorial structure, reliability, and validity of the German adaptation of POSSA. A CFA analysis confirmed a satisfactory fit for the proposed three-factor model, as evidenced by a CFI of .919, a TLI of .902 and a RSMEA of .075. �e subscales of the German POSSA demonstrated high internal consistency. Additionally, convergent validity was established through significant correlations with the Impostor-Profile 30 (IPP), affirming the interpretive accuracy of the subscale scores. Specifically, the Adaptable Self and Freedom of Self Online subscales positively correlated with IPP measures of Alienation and Other-Self-Divergence, whereas the Authentic Self subscale inversely correlated with these measures. Moreover, the German POSSA scores accounted for variance in the number of Instagram followers, surpassing the predictive power of self-esteem alone.Notably, the Adaptable Self factor was positively associated with the follower count, while the Freedom of Self Online factor displayed a negative association. Collectively, these findings underscore the DE-POSSA as a robust tool for assessing self-presentation behaviors in Germanspeaking populations and highlight its potential for cross-cultural research in online interpersonal interactions.* p<.05, ** p<.01 * p<.05, ** p<.01