Problematic Usage Research Articles

The Role of Habits in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Usage: Predicting Excessive and Problematic Gaming Through Players' Sensitivity to Situational Cues.

We examined the effect of habitual regulation of massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) playing on the problematic (addictive) usage and excessiveness of gaming (time that user spent playing weekly, per session, and in relation to his other leisure activities). We developed the approach to assess the strength of habitual regulation that was based on sensitivity to situational cues. We defined cues as real-life or in-game conditions (e.g., work to be done, activities with friends or family, need to relax, new game expansion) that usually promote gaming (proplay cues) or prevent it (contraplay cues). Using a sample of 377 MMORPG players, we analyzed relationships between variables through partial least squares path modeling. We found that proplay cues sensitivity significantly positively affected the excessiveness of gaming (playing time) as well as the occurrence of problematic usage symptoms. Conversely, contraplay cues sensitivity functioned as a protective factor from these conditions; significant negative effects were found for playing time and problematic usage. Playing time was confirmed to be a mediating variable, affected by cues sensitivity and at the same time affecting problematic usage symptoms. We obtained moderately strong coefficients of determination for both endogenous variables (R(2) = 0.28 for playing time; R(2) = 0.31 for problematic usage) suggesting that the proposed variables possess good explanatory power. Based on our results, we argue that the strength of habitual regulation within MMORPG usage has both positive and negative effects on excessive and problematic usage, which is a new and important finding within the area of Internet gaming addiction.

Exploring the Risk Factors of Interactive E-Health Interventions for Digital Addiction

Digital Addiction refers to a problematic usage of digital devices characterised by being excessive, compulsive, impulsive and hasty. It is often associated with negative life experience such as anxiety and depression. To combat Digital Addiction, interactive e-health intervention applications started to appear to aid users adjust their usage style. The present study aims to understand the risks related to such e-health interventions. The authors conducted an empirical research to investigate such risks from users' perspectives through a diary study. Fourteen participants were recruited and asked to install popular “digital diet” applications and use them for two weeks and record their significant moments. The authors then interviewed the participants to discuss their experience. Self-governed interactive e-health intervention for digital addiction could lead to adverse side effects such as lower self-esteem, misconception of the healthy usage and creating an alternative addictive experience. Thus, there is a need for theory-based development and rigorous testing for such e-health solutions.

On the use of the locative adverbs bura-, ora- and şura- in Turkish

The paper deals with the Turkish deictic locative adverbs bura- (‘here’) ora- (‘there’) and şura- (‘here’, ‘there’). Some researchers (Lyons 1977, Levinson 1983, Anderson and Keenan 1985) claim that şura- occupies an intermediate position between bura- and ora-. Some others (Küntay and Özyürek 2002, 2006) note that şura- is neutral with regard to distance specifications. This investigation has identified a rather problematic usage of the deictic locative adverb şura-. Taking into account that contemporary Turkish language has gradually developed from a three-member deictic system into a two-member system, the paper attempts to more thoroughly investigate the usage of the locative adverb şura- and describe the prevailing deictic system in the Turkish language.

Problematic Internet Usage and Immune Function.

Problematic internet use has been associated with a variety of psychological comorbidities, but it relationship with physical illness has not received the same degree of investigation. The current study surveyed 505 participants online, and asked about their levels of problematic internet usage (Internet Addiction Test), depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales), social isolation (UCLA Loneliness Questionnaire), sleep problems (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and their current health – General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and the Immune Function Questionnaire. The results demonstrated that around 30% of the sample displayed mild or worse levels of internet addiction, as measured by the IAT. Although there were differences in the purposes for which males and females used the internet, there were no differences in terms of levels of problematic usage between genders. The internet problems were strongly related to all of the other psychological variables such as depression, anxiety, social-isolation, and sleep problems. Internet addiction was also associated with reduced self-reported immune function, but not with the measure of general health (GHQ-28). This relationship between problematic internet use and reduced immune function was found to be independent of the impact of the co-morbidities. It is suggested that the negative relationship between level of problematic internet use and immune function may be mediated by levels of stress produced by such internet use, and subsequent sympathetic nervous activity, which related to immune-supressants, such as cortisol.

Didactical Phenomena of Unusual Geometry Tasks in Teachingof Stereometry

The National Program of Education Mathematics–ISCED 3A specifies the mathematical standards at Slovak secondary schools. In the curriculum of stereometry, the topic of the planar sections of solids is included due to the development of the spatial imagination of students. For this purpose, the students solve the selected types of tasks by using special methods and strategies. Obvious different forms of visualisations are used, though the results are not satisfactory. The cause of this phenomenon seems to be insufficient training of the future teachers of mathematics due to different reasons. It appears the first one is the problematic usage of different didactical software for the transformation of the educational process. The second one is the impact of motivational factors of non-standard tasks and their solutions. In our paper we continue the research which was already carried out. We analyse in detail the conclusions of Slovak and Czech mathematics experts and university teachers whose research field is focused on the development of spatial and geometric imagination. Based on the findings that the subject area is developed mainly through planar sections of solids, we propose a new inspirational type of task on sections of cube building special solids constructed from multiple cubes. We aim to show the possibilities of using geometric software Cabri 3D to attain the problems’ solutions, and we also analyse various aspects of the educational process in regard to the implementation of using appropriate geometry software in teaching support.

‘Temporary’ relocation: spaces of contradiction in South African law

Purpose– This study aims to examine how temporary relocation areas (TRAs), urban forms that facilitate evictions and forced relocations, have been written into South African legal and governmental structures through contested urban planning and legal regimes.Design/methodology/approach– Proceeding from the macro-scale of TRAs spread across the nation, to the mezzo-scale of the Delft Symphony Way TRA in Cape Town, to the micro-scale of an individual “blikkie” (housing unit) within this camp, the article looks at the form and function of the TRA in urban resettlement practices. Special attention is given to relocation areas’ designation as “temporary” spaces and the consequences of this temporal designation in law and on the ground.Findings– These sites have developed as technologies for negotiating competing demands on the state, and their presence foregrounds some of the deeply rooted contradictions in post-apartheid South Africa. They are places both within and apart from the city, often managed by city officials according to municipal specifications, but located proximally to key urban amenities, utilities services and employment centers. They also place contradictory demands on their residents, for whom making the TRA liveable also legitimates it as a form of housing.Originality/value– This article uncovers several concerns about TRAs, including their inadequacy for long-term settlement, their problematic usage as tools of dispossession and the spatial-material-legal imbrications by which TRAs exist, persist and act back upon both individual lives and policy spheres.

Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale in a Younger Population

Objective: Smartphones have many features such as communication, internet, photography, multimedia and navigation, and are currently one of the most popular technological devices. Usage of smartphones has increased rapidly and this rapid increase has brought about addiction and problematic usage. To our knowledge, there is no scale, which can be used to assess addiction to smartphones in the Turkish population. The aim of this study was to adapt Turkish terminology and to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale. Methods: The sample was composed of 301 students studying at the Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, who used smartphones. In the study, in addition to the Smartphone Addiction Scale, an Information Form, the Internet Addiction Scale and the Problem Mobile Phone Use Scale were used as tools for collecting data. The scales were given to all attendees in mixed order and the Information Form was always given at the first stage. It took about 20 minutes to complete the scales. Test-retest application was made with 30 randomly selected students (with the help of nicknames) three weeks later. The factor structure of the scale was examined by factor analysis and the Varimax Rotation method. Internal consistency, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability analyses were conducted for the reliability analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze criterion-related validity. Results: Factor analysis revealed a seven-factor structure and factor loadings of items that ranged from 0.349 to 0.824. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was founded to be 0.947 for the scale. Correlations between the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Turkish version and the other scales were statistically significant. The test-retest reliability was high (r=0.814). The Guttman Split-half coefficient was calculated to be 0.893 in the split-half reliability analysis. The average total scores for girls were significantly higher than those for boys (p=0.03). There was a non-significant negative correlation between age and scale total score (r=-0.086, p=0.13). Average scale scores were the highest in users who used smartphones for over 16 hours. Average scale scores were significantly higher in users who used smartphones for over 16 hours compared with users of smartphones for less than 4 hours (p=0.01). We recorded the highest scale score in the game category. We didn’t observe any statistical significance when comparing game scores with those of the internet (p=0.44) and social networking (p=0.98) categories. Additionally, total scores for gaming were significantly higher than those for voice calling (p=0.02), short text messaging (p=0.02) and other categories (p=0.04). Moreover, the participants who selected the answers ‘agree’ or ‘unsure’ as self-rating for smartphone addiction obtained significantly higher scores than the participants who answered ‘disagree’ (p=0.01). Conclusion: In this study, we found that the Turkish version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale is a reliable and valid measurement tool for the evaluation of smartphone addiction.

OR08-3 * THE INFLUENCE OF PREPOTENT RESPONSE INHIBITION AND DECISION MAKING ON PROBLEMATIC ONLINE GAMING

During the last decade, Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMO) have gained a particular interest. With dozen of millions users playing every day, the prevalence rate for the excessive and problematic usage of MMO is varying from 5 to 15%. Defined in the DSM-5 as Internet Gaming Disorder, the negative repercussions on health and on both family and professional spheres can be heavy. Several studies have highlighted the role of impaired inhibition capacities on the onset and maintenance of problematic behavior. More specifically, the inhibition of prepotent response identified and defined by Friedman and Miyake (2004) as the ability to deliberately suppress automatic behaviors has been reported impaired among excessive players. Another cognitive mechanism that was related to excessive online gambling is decision making abilities. It has thus been proposed that excessive gamers have difficulties to balance short term benefits with future outcomes (e.g., neglecting relationships) The aim of our study is to compare inhibitory control and decision making skills in problematic and non-problematic gamers (previous studies often compared problematic gamers with non-gamers). A secondary objective of the study will be to compare proportion of problematic versus non-problematic players according to the main types of MMOs (MMORPGs, FPS, MOBA).

The role of personality and depression in problematic use of social networking sites in Greece

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship of Social Networking Site (SNS) problematic usage with personality characteristics and depressive symptomatology. A sample of 143 young adults in Greece varying from 18 to 34 years of age completed four questionnaires on personality characteristics, depressive symptomatology, problematic SNS usage and socio-demographic factors. Problematic SNS usage is significantly and positively related to depression and Neuroticism, while negatively associated with Agreeableness. However, problematic use of SNS is not related to Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience and Extraversion, although the latter was found to be negatively associated with depression. Collectively, personality variables, depression and daily average usage account for about 33% of the variance in predicting problematic SNS usage. In contrast to previous research findings, age and gender are not found to be related to either problematic SNS usage or depressive symptomatology. However, place of residence is associated with Neuroticism and Problematic Use, with participants from rural areas exhibiting higher scores than participants from urban areas. Finally, Neuroticism and the average daily use of SNS have been proven to be good predictors of problematic SNS usage. Personality, depressive symptomatology and socio-demographic factors relate to the way Social Networking Sites are being used. Implications are discussed.

A young people's perspective on computer game addiction

In this article, I examine computer game addiction as a social phenomenon, analyzing the consequences of using the term in order to express a concern about high frequency consumption or even a problematic usage of computer games. I argue that while it is obviously very important to take seriously these concerns about young people “at risk,” there is a gap between the phenomenon as a suggested psychiatric diagnosis and young people's reflections on the matter. Following the work of Goffman and Becker, computer game addiction is not necessarily something negative in the eyes of the player and other young people. It is shown that the classification can be a positive element in young people's identity work. On the other hand, a high consumption of computer games is also considered as “culturally unacceptable.” From this perspective, computer game addiction becomes a question of how to construct the boundaries between normality and deviance and how prejudices are governing and controlling young people's lives. All this suggests more caution in classifying frequent and problematic computer game play as a disorder in itself. We need a more complex understanding of computer game addiction than research so far has offered us.

Perceived Discrimination and DSM-IV–Based Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use Disorders

We examined the relationship between everyday and major discrimination and alcohol and drug use disorders in a nationally representative sample of African Americans and Black Caribbeans. With data from the National Survey of American Life Study, we employed multivariable logistic regression analyses--while controlling for potential confounders--to examine the relationship between everyday and major discrimination and substance use disorders on the basis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. Every 1 unit increase in the everyday discrimination scale positively predicted alcohol (odds ratio [OR] = 1.02; P < .01) and drug use (OR = 1.02; P < .05) disorders. Similarly, each additional major discrimination event positively predicted alcohol (OR = 1.10; P < .05) and drug use (OR = 1.15; P < .01) disorders. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine problematic usage patterns rather than infrequent use of alcohol and drugs in a national sample of African American and Black Caribbean adults and the first to examine this particular relationship in a national sample of Black Caribbeans.

Used and Abused: The Problematic Usage of Gang Terminology in the United Kingdom and Its Implications for Ethnic Minority Youth

Used and Abused: The Problematic Usage of Gang Terminology in the United Kingdom and Its Implications for Ethnic Minority Youth

Adolescent Internet Addiction: Testing the Association Between Self-Esteem, the Perception of Internet Attributes, and Preference for Online Social Interactions

There is a general consensus that Internet addiction (IA) is mainly related to social aspects of the Web, especially among adolescents. The empirical link between poor social skills and IA is well documented; however, theoretical explanations for this relationship are less developed. One possibility is that people with poor social skills are especially prone to develop a preference for online social interaction (POSI), which, in turn, predicts problematic usage. This hypothesis has been tested for loneliness and social anxiety, but not for self-esteem (SE; one of the main antecedents of IA). Furthermore, the mediating role of the perceived relevance of some Internet features (e.g., anonymity) in the relationship between SE and POSI has never been investigated. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 257 adolescents. Using mediation analyses, we found evidence among females for the mediating role of (a) POSI in the relationship between SE and IA, and (b) the subjective relevance of some Internet features in the association between SE and POSI. No significant effects were found for males.

Denied ethnicism: on the Walloon movement in Belgium

AbstractThe Walloon movement is the lesser‐known counterpart to the Flemish movement in Belgium. In contemporary political debate it presents itself, and is usually perceived, as a civic and voluntaristic movement predicated on the values of democracy, freedom, openness and anti‐nationalism. As such it is contrasted against its Flemish counterpart, which accordingly is characterised as tending towards an ethnic exclusivist form of nationalism hinging on descent, culture and language. However, the historical record behind these representations shows that the Walloon movement is rooted in ethno‐cultural as much as social politics, and that it has always contained both civic and ethnic elements to varying degrees. This article highlights the Walloon movement in order to analyse the language and national stereotypes in which national movements are characterised both in political rhetoric and in scholarly analysis. The case is particularly relevant for the problematic usage of the ‘civic–ethnic’ opposition, slipping between the discourses of antagonism and analysis; one type of such slippage is here identified as ‘denied ethnicism’.

Problematic internet usage in US college students: a pilot study

BackgroundInternet addiction among US college students remains a concern, but robust estimates of its prevalence are lacking.MethodsWe conducted a pilot survey of 307 college students at two US universities. Participants completed the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire. Both are validated measures of problematic Internet usage and depression, respectively. We assessed the association between problematic Internet usage and moderate to severe depression using a modified Poisson regression approach. In addition, we examined the associations between individual items in the IAT and depression.ResultsA total of 224 eligible respondents completed the survey (73% response rate). Overall, 4% of students scored in the occasionally problematic or addicted range on the IAT, and 12% had moderate to severe depression. Endorsement of individual problematic usage items ranged from 1% to 70%. In the regression analysis, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with several individual items. Relative risk could not be estimated for three of the twenty items because of small cell sizes. Of the remaining 17 items, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with 13 of them, and three others had P values less than 0.10. There was also a significant association between problematic Internet usage overall and moderate to severe depression (relative risk 24.07, 95% confidence interval 3.95 to 146.69; P = 0.001).ConclusionThe prevalence of problematic Internet usage among US college students is a cause for concern, and potentially requires intervention and treatment amongst the most vulnerable groups. The prevalence reported in this study is lower than that which has been reported in other studies, however the at-risk population is very high and preventative measures are also recommended.

Motivations to Play Specifically Predict Excessive Involvement in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games: Evidence from an Online Survey

Background: Several studies have linked massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) with possible problematic usage or internet addiction. Aims: The main goal of the present study was to assess links between motivations to play in MMORPGs and addictive involvement in such types of games. Methods: A total of 696 gamers responded to an online survey. Results and Conclusion: Five distinct motivations to play were identified in gamers: achievement, socializing, immersion, relaxing and escaping. Multiple regression analysis revealed that addictive MMORPG use patterns are predicted by achievement, escapism and socializing motives. Gender was also a significant predictor of problematic involvement in MMORPGs. Moreover, addictive MMORPG use positively correlated with the weekly time devoted to playing MMORPGs.

MISSED CALL? A REEXAMINATION OF SPORT FANS' AND NONFANS' ALCOHOL USAGE AND ALCOHOL-RELATED EXPERIENCES

The current investigation attempted to replicate and extend Nelson and Weschler's (2003) research that indicated that college student sport fans were more likely to report problematic alcohol usage and more negative alcohol-related experiences in comparison to nonfans. In addition to utilizing the original study's operational definition of fan (spectator-based), 323 college students were categorized according to more traditional measures of fandom, specifically levels of fan and team identification. Contrary to the previous research, the results indicated that fans' and nonfans' alcohol usage and experiences of negative alcohol-related events were not significantly different. Additionally, both forms of identification (fan and team) failed to predict problematic alcohol usage and negative alcohol-related experiences. Although the results were unaffected by the operational definitions of fan, distinguishing certain subgroups of fans may be important in regards to clarifying and advancing our understanding of the potential relationship between sport and alcohol usage. These distinctions could guide efforts to reduce problematic alcohol usage.

Diagnostic Prescriptions

The lack of a standardized cause-of-death nomenclature poses certain challenges for historical and demographic research of nineteenth-century mortality trends. Efforts to standardize disease and cause-of-death terminology did not successfully take place on an international level until the late nineteenth century. While many disease terms were in common, their diagnostic applications were not. This study examines the relative impact that standardized nomenclature had on cause-of-death reporting in western Massachusetts from 1850 through 1912. I analyze the effects of one specific international influence on late-nineteenth- and early twentieth-century grammars of death, namely, the organized efforts of European and American medical professionals to instruct physicians in proper nomenclature through explicit references and sanctions in the 1900 International Classification of Diseases (ICD). My analysis focuses on the problematic usage of two diagnostic terms in particular:puerperal feverandinanition. The qualifying instructions for these diseases are particularly important for U.S. studies, because they targeted U.S. physicians for correction and provide further insight into the institutional efforts to effect conventional, diagnostic usage on both an international and a local level. I show that the ICD‘s effect on cause-of-death reporting in Holyoke and Northampton was modest at best. The ICD correctives in question were not unilateral directives from the European medical establishment but in fact originated in the United States. The ICD developed as a collaborative endeavor, enlisting the efforts and interests of participating countries to help create a mechanism for implementing a standardized cause-of-death nomenclature capable of addressing international and local public health concerns.

Problematic Usage Among Highly-Engaged Players of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

One popular facet of Internet gaming is the massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Some individuals spend so much time playing these games that it creates problems in their lives. This study focused on players of World of Warcraft. Factor analysis revealed one factor related to problematic usage, which was correlated with amount of time played, and personality characteristics of agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion.

Production of Recombinant RNase Ba and Its Application in Downstream Processing of Plasmid DNA for Pharmaceutical Use

The demand for new strategies in downstream processing of biopharmaceutical plasmid DNA has increased in response to the importance of nucleic acids as active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in gene therapy and genetic vaccination. Led by the problematic usage of animal-derived proteins for producing reagents of clinical applications, we present an opportunity of removing RNA prior to chromatographic steps by using a recombinant RNase Ba (barnase of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) as an alternative to bovine RNase A. An expression vector for RNase Ba production was constructed enabling periplasmic localization of the recombinant protein. Cultivation of the RNase-producing clone showed stable activity (3.6 kU mL(-1) during stationary phase) throughout the cultivation process. After purification the RNase activity was tested and compared to that of commercially available RNase A. RNase Ba showed no DNase activity even after prolonged incubation with plasmid DNA. Thus, it is a suitable substitute for bovine RNase A in pharmaceutical purification processes.