A study of the transtheoretical model of behaviour change in computer gaming

Abstract

Research questions about how adolescents in Singapore cope with additive gaming behavior (cyber, video, computer) were explored by applying The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Behavior Change. A total of 112 adolescent students from a secondary school participated in the study. All participants, aged 12 to 17, reported playing computer games for 3 hours and above every day; they each completed a demographic sheet and three scales that measured the TTM constructs explored in the study. Contrary to findings from previous studies, self efficacy measures of symptom (e.g., bad mood, long time spent in gaming) management and interpersonal skills were found to be related to the precontemplation rather than maintenance stage. In line with previous studies, decisional balance, particularly the perceived cost of behavior change, was related to the precontemplation stage, while the benefit of behavior change was related to contemplation, action and maintenance stages. In addition, boys were more likely than girls to consider the costs of changing their behavior when considering whether to quit playing computer games.