Abstract
Online game addiction (OGA) is becoming a significant problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore the incidence of OGA and the roles of stressful life events, avoidant coping styles (ACSs), and neuroticism in OGA. A total of 651 Chinese college students were selected by random cluster sampling. Subjects completed the Chinese version of Young’s eight-item Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS), Online Game Cognition Addiction Scale (OGCAS), Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short Scale in Chinese (EPQ-RSC), Chinese College-student Stress Questionnaire, and Coping Style Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the interactive effects of stressful life events, ACSs, and neuroticism on OGA. Of the 651 participants in the sample, 31 (4.8%) were identified as addicts. The incidence of OGA was two times higher for males than females. The addicts had markedly higher scores on the neuroticism subscale of the EPQ-RSC than non-addicts. Compared to non-addicts, addicts were more apt to use ACSs. Having an avoidant coping strategy mediated the effect of stressful life events on OGA. Furthermore, neuroticism moderated the indirect effect of stressful life events on OGA via ACSs. Applications of these findings to etiological research and clinical treatment programs are discussed.
Highlights
IntroductionThe allure of online gaming among young adults may be attributable to their engaging, welldeveloped immersive environments and their providing a medium of interaction among large numbers of users, which can facilitate the development of interpersonal relationships within imaginary game worlds without any space or time limits (Yao et al, 2014)
The Coping Style Questionnaire (CSQ) revealed that the Online Game Addiction (OGA) group showed a greater propensity toward Avoidant Coping Styles (ACSs) than the non-OGA group
Given that maladaptive coping was a potential mediator between stress and its psychological and behavioral outcomes including depression, PTSD, and internet addiction (Choi et al, 2015; Ye and Zheng, 2016), it is not strange that we found that OGA were affected by stressful life events indirectly through ACSs rather than stressful life events directly
Summary
The allure of online gaming among young adults may be attributable to their engaging, welldeveloped immersive environments and their providing a medium of interaction among large numbers of users, which can facilitate the development of interpersonal relationships within imaginary game worlds without any space or time limits (Yao et al, 2014). Stressful Life Events, Avoidant Coping Styles (ACSs) and Online Game Addiction (OGA): Evidence for Meditating Model. Grounded in the cognitive-behavioral theory (Davis, 2001), our hypothesis posited that the relationship between stressful life events and OGA would be stronger for individuals with higher maladaptive cognitions or coping. Individuals who use compulsive game-playing to cope with daily hassles or social rejection have been found to be more susceptible to addiction (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014)
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