Abstract
Previous research on gaming disorder (GD) has highlighted key methodological and conceptual hindrances stemming from the heterogeneity of nomenclature and the use of non-standardized psychometric tools to assess this phenomenon. The recent recognition of GD as an official mental health disorder and behavioral addiction by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) opens up new possibilities to investigate further the psychosocial and mental health implications due to excessive and disordered gaming. However, before further research on GD can be conducted in a reliable way and within a robust cross-cultural context, a valid and reliable standardized psychometric tool to assess the construct as defined by the WHO should be developed. The aim of this study was to develop The Gaming Disorder Test (GDT), a brief four-item measure to assess GD and to further explore its psychometric properties. A sample of 236 Chinese (47% male, mean age 19.22 years, SD = 1.57) and 324 British (49.4% male, mean age 26.74 years, SD = 7.88) gamers was recruited online. Construct validity of the GDT was examined via factorial validity, nomological validity, alongside convergent and discriminant validity. Concurrent validity was also examined using the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale—Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). Finally, reliability indicators involving the Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability coefficients were estimated. Overall, the results indicated that GDT is best conceptualized within a single-factor structure. Additionally, the four items of the GDT are valid, reliable, and proved to be highly suitable for measuring GD within a cross-cultural context.
Highlights
Previous research on gaming disorder (GD) has highlighted key methodological and conceptual hindrances stemming from the heterogeneity of nomenclature and the use of nonstandardized psychometric tools to assess this phenomenon
The proposed diagnostic criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder” (IGD) in the DSM-5 include the following: (1) preoccupation with games; (2) withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away; (3) tolerance, resulting in the need to spend increasing amounts of time engaged in games; (4) unsuccessful attempts to control participation in games; (5) loss of interest in previous hobbies and entertainment as a result of, and with the exception of, games; (6) continued excessive use of games despite knowledge of psychosocial problems; (7) deceiving family members, therapists, or others regarding the amount of gaming; (8) use of games to escape or relieve negative moods; and (9) jeopardizing or losing a significant relationship, job, or education or career opportunity because of participation in games
Due to the initial recognition of IGD in the DSM-5, the focus of the scholarly debate has shifted from questioning whether IGD merited formal recognition as a mental health disorder to highlighting the need to further understand the core experiences of IGD from a broad biological, psychological, and social perspective (Pontes 2018)
Summary
Previous research on gaming disorder (GD) has highlighted key methodological and conceptual hindrances stemming from the heterogeneity of nomenclature and the use of nonstandardized psychometric tools to assess this phenomenon. Scholars have argued that formal recognition of GD as a disorder may result in potentially negative medical, scientific, public health, societal, and rights-based repercussions that should be acknowledged (Aarseth et al 2017) These concerns often relate to the challenges in the psychometric and clinical assessment of the phenomenon as accurate identification of pathological and non-pathological behavior and actual illness has long been a problem in psychiatric epidemiology, often leading to false-positive diagnoses with significant economic and societal implications (van Rooij et al 2018). Researchers in the gaming studies field have suggested the need of additional empirical evidence to help identify the defining features of IGD, obtain cross-cultural data on reliability and validity of specific diagnostic criteria, determine prevalence rates in representative epidemiological samples in countries around the world, evaluate its natural history, and examine its associated biological features (Petry and O'Brien 2013; Pontes and Griffiths 2014)
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