Abstract
Research examining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has increased substantially over the past decade. One of the risk factors for IGD includes poor impulse control. The present study comprises the first ever systematic review of studies examining the relationship between IGD and impusivity utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was conducted via EBSCO (which included the following academic databases: Academic Search Complete, PsycARTICLES, and PsycINFO), PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Wiley Online Library. The inclusion criteria were (i) publication date between 2000 and 2019, (ii) being an empirical study that collected primary data, (iii) written in English and Turkish languages (the two languages spoken by the authors), (iv) published in a scholarly peer-reviewed journal, and (v) conducted an objective assessment of both IGD and impulsivity. Following these procedures, 33 eligible empirical studies remained for evaluation in the present review comprising 18,128 participants in total. Results demonstrated that despite many methodological weaknesses, 32 studies reported a positive association between impulsivity and IGD. Possible explanations for this consistent finding appear to indicate that altered neurobiological structures detected in participants with impulsivity may explain some of the relationships between impulsivity and internet gaming disorder.
Highlights
Research examining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has increased substantially over the past decade
The results showed that problematic gamers high on impulsivity were more prone to relapse and reinstatement
The present systematic review identified peer-reviewed published studies investigating the association between impulsivity and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD)
Summary
Research examining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has increased substantially over the past decade. Many issues need to be clarified in order for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) to be considered as a formal diagnosis in the edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Such issues include risk and protective factors for IGD, comorbid patterns with IGD, structure of IGD, typical consequences of IGD, and effective approaches in overcoming IGD (Gentile et al 2011). In addition to the aforementioned criteria, other criteria comprising IGD include tolerance, withdrawal, persistent use despite negative outcomes, inability to restrict internet use, disruption in psychosocial functioning, loss of interest in previous hobbies, and escapism (Yen et al 2017) Both positive reinforcement (i.e., receiving a reward or reaching higher levels in the videogame) and negative reinforcement (i.e., playing to avoid negative affectivity) can be factors in the development of gaming addiction (Choi et al 2007; Yee 2006). Attentional biases may be effective in maintaining the problem by increasing the risk of relapse (van Holst et al 2012)
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