Abstract
BackgroundVideogame addiction has been suggested as a tentative disorder in 2013 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and was recently officially recognized as a mental health disorder by the World Health Organization (WHO). Although a few studies have identified attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a key risk factor for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), the interplay between ADHD and IGD symptoms with gender differences across cultures remains to be further examined. ObjectiveThis study examined the moderating effects of gender in the association between ADHD and IGD across two nations. MethodA cross-sectional online survey was developed to recruit 164 Australian (Mage = 23.01, SD = 3.35, Minage = 18, Maxage = 31, Males n = 121, 73.80%) and 457 U.S.-North American (Mage = 25.25 years, SD = 2.76, Minage = 18 years, Maxage = 29 years, Males = 265, 57.98%) Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) players aged between 18 and 29 years. ResultsThe hierarchical linear regression, moderation and moderated moderation analyses revealed that participants presenting greater inattention and hyperactivity symptoms exhibited higher levels of IGD-related behaviors in the two samples. Moreover, these associations differed across genders between the two countries. Specifically, more hyperactive-impulsive, as well as inattentive males in the USA presented higher levels of disordered gaming. ConclusionThe results highlight the need for more cross-cultural and symptom-focused research in the broader IGD field.
Highlights
Videogames have changed dramatically since they were first introduced in the 1970s, with improvements in network performance and computing power facilitating the development of highly interactive multiplayer games (Griffiths, Davies, & Chappell, 2003)
The present study aims to bridge this gap by examining the effects of specific risk factors during emergent adulthood (i.e., attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and gender), whilst concurrently emphasizing on higher Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) risk game genres using two different national samples of gamers from Australia and the United States of America (USA) to capture potential country-related variations
The estimated prevalence of IGD was higher for the USA sample (i.e., 3.9%; N = 18) compared to the Australian (i.e., 1.8%; N = 3)
Summary
Videogames have changed dramatically since they were first introduced in the 1970s, with improvements in network performance and computing power facilitating the development of highly interactive multiplayer games (Griffiths, Davies, & Chappell, 2003). Playing videogames is considered, for the most part, a healthy activity capable of producing beneficial effects to gamers, there is mounting evidence suggesting that excessive and addictive gaming is associated with significant health-related and behavioral drawbacks (Gomez, Stavropoulos, Beard, & Pontes, 2018; Pontes, Stavropoulos, & Griffiths, 2017; Stavropoulos et al, 2018). Results: The hierarchical linear regression, moderation and moderated moderation analyses revealed that participants presenting greater inattention and hyperactivity symptoms exhibited higher levels of IGD-related behaviors in the two samples. These associations differed across genders between the two countries. Conclusion: The results highlight the need for more cross-cultural and symptom-focused research in the broader IGD field
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