Polish Adaptation of the Igroup Presence Questionnaire

The Polish adaptation of the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ-PL) addresses the need for a validated instrument to measure presence, the subjective sense of being located within a virtual environment, which is widely regarded as a key determinant of the effectiveness of virtual reality and video game experiences. The authors selected the IPQ over competing measures such as the PQ, ITC-SOPI, and MEC-SPQ because of its strong cross-national psychometric record and its inclusion of perceived realism as a distinct dimension. Adaptation followed independent forward translations from German and English originals, synthesis of the versions, and a pilot study that led to standardizing the term "virtual world."

The instrument was tested on 245 online participants, predominantly male with a mean age of 24, most of whom reported regular use of monitors and third-person three-dimensional games. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable fit for both a three-factor model (CFI .969, RMSEA .061) and a marginally superior bifactor model (CFI .972, RMSEA .054). Internal consistency was high, with Cronbach's alpha values between .79 and .89 and a Spearman-Brown coefficient of .94. External validity was supported by moderate-to-weak correlations with immersion (r = .61), realism, flow, aesthetics, and player needs, with the comparatively weak association between presence and realism interpreted as evidence that the two constructs are distinct.

The authors conclude that IPQ-PL has satisfactory psychometric properties and is suitable for research across immersive environments, including virtual reality and video games, with Polish-speaking samples. The study's scope is limited to a single online sample of predominantly male, experienced gamers, and the authors identify further work on temporal stability, larger and more varied samples, and the effects of game genre and hardware on involvement, learning, and performance. The full instrument, including subscales for spatial presence, involvement, and realness, is provided with a scoring key.