Abstract
A central task in military leadership is to take care of one's followers, which presupposes knowledge about relevant risk factors. Very little research has focused on the risks of developing problematic gaming behavior during military service. The present study tries to bridge this gap by assessing prevalence rates and associated risk factors of problem gaming in a sample of Norwegian conscripts across two time-points: at the beginning and end of duty. The sample comprised 2,555 individuals aged 18–24 years. A total of 1,017 (39.8%) completed the questionnaire at Time 1, ~1 month after starting the military service. Respondents who completed the first wave, at enrollment, were invited to participate in wave two, after completing their service. At Time 2, 259 (25.5%) participants responded. The prevalence rates of gaming addiction were 0.5% at Time 1 and 4.6% at Time 2, while problem gaming use was reported by 4.8% of the sample at Time 1 and 8.1% of the sample at Time 2. Paired sample t-tests revealed an overall significant increase in the mean scores on the Gaming Addiction Scale from T1 (M = 0.86, SD = 1.35) to T2 (M = 1.31, SD = 2.14), t = −2.40, p < 0.05. According to the reliable change index, 17.1% of the sample showed a reliable negative change, whereas 8.3% exhibited a reliable positive change in gaming addiction scores. However, no psychological variables measured at T1 (loneliness, boredom proneness-Internal, boredom proneness-External, anxiety, depression, game addiction, and time spent gaming) were related to attrition (from T1 to T2), or worsening of game addiction, while a positive relationship was observed between boredom proneness-External and reduced gaming addiction from T1 to T2. In sum, we observed a tendency toward a negative change in gaming behaviors during military service which may complicate the soldiers' reintegration into civilian life after their service. More research is needed to assess potential gaming problems in the Military.
Highlights
Reviewed by: Alessio Simonetti, Baylor College of Medicine, United States Steven D
The conscripts selected for military service must leave their family and social network to join the military for 1 year
More than three quarters had completed their military service at T2, while 0.4% had quit before the end of service due to gaming problems, and 22.1% had quit due to other reasons
Summary
Reviewed by: Alessio Simonetti, Baylor College of Medicine, United States Steven D. Given that the ability to take care of one’s followers is found to represent a vital element in successful leadership, increased gaming behavior may represent a significant challenge to military leadership [3] This is supported by a previous study, showing that nearly 5% of the Norwegian conscripts had symptoms of problem gaming when entering military service, despite rigorous screening procedures prior to conscription [4]. In this cross-sectional study, lower psychosocial well-being (boredom, loneliness, depression, and anxiety) prior to being drafted was found to be associated with gaming problems, explaining nearly 7% of the variance in gaming addiction scores beyond weekly time spent gaming. A reciprocal relationship between these variables may exist [13, 15]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
