Problematic Video Game Use Research Articles

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Video Games: Restricted Interests or Addiction?

High rates of video game use in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have often been reported. This might suggest more prevalent video gaming addiction in this population, but elevated video game use could also be explained by restricted interest in video games. We thus reviewed the literature on video game use in ASD to examine the role of vulnerability for video game addiction and the role of restricted interest in video gaming. We conducted a search following PRISMA guidelines. From 511 papers, 15 were included. This review demonstrates that the high rates of video game use in boys and young males with ASD without intellectual disabilities can be predominantly explained by gaming addiction. However, an effect of restricted interest in video games cannot be excluded. Moreover, addictive process and restricted interest may interact. This result raises several issues for differentiating between video game addiction and restricted interest in regard to assessment, overlapping characteristics and interventions. Based on the results, we make recommendations for caregivers and clinicians on the management of problematic video game use in ASD.

« Je suis un gamer ! » au-delà des stéréotypes, les enjeux d’une identité passionnelle

Context and objectivesNumerous scientific studies have focused on the psychological profiles and motivations to play of video gamers with problematic or excessive use of video games. However, this subset of gamers is not representative of the gaming community. The present study aims at exploring the personality profiles of gamers in non-clinic population and their motivations to play in order to identify possible differences or similarities with the profiles of non-gamers and problematic gamers. Methods and populationWe assessed personality traits (Big Five Inventory) and motivations to play (Motivation to Play in Online Games Questionnaire) of 883 francophone adults through an online survey. Our sample included non-gamers, people who play exclusively offline and people who play online (casual gamers, regular gamers and hardcore gamers). ResultsOffline gamers, regular gamers and hardcore gamers have lower levels of Extraversion than non-gamers. Hardcore gamers have higher levels of Agreeableness than non-players. The more people tend to be involved in video gaming, the more their Neuroticism scores and their motivation to play increase. ConclusionsGamers in general population appear to have personality profiles that are quite similar to non-gamers personality profiles. Further research is needed to identify a possible “tipping point” between high investment in video games (hardcore gamers) and excessive gaming (problematic gamers).

Advertising Games of Chance in Adolescents and Young Adults in Spain.

Gambling advertising can influence attitudes and gaming behavior of adolescents and young adults (A&Y). To study the effect of advertising on the attitudes and gaming behavior of a sample of 2887 Spanish A&Y (12-22years old), by means of a self-report assessment. On average, participants show a weak effect of advertising, however there are great variations, estimating that 11% of A&Y acknowledge being influenced by advertising and 5% recognize being severely affected. Men see themselves more impacted than women, without age differences. Those who play videogames signal a stronger effect of this kind of advertising and although these differences are not substantial in effect size, they reach statistically significance in 12 of the 13 questions assessed. A&Y who showed higher scores indicating problematic use of videogames in the IDGS9-SF, are those who indicate a greater impact of advertising on their attitudes towards gaming, as well as on the way they play or on their intention to play. These results support the idea that videogames can, albeit modestly, predispose engagement in games of chance.

Empirical Relationships between Problematic Alcohol Use and a Problematic Use of Video Games, Social Media and the Internet and Their Associations to Mental Health in Adolescence.

Adolescents frequently show risky behavior, and these problematic behavior patterns often do not occur in isolation, but together. Problematic alcohol use is widespread among youth, as is problematic use of the Internet and of specific online applications (video games or social media). However, there is still a lack of findings for minors regarding the relations between these behavioral patterns (particularly between problematic alcohol use and problematic gaming or problematic social media use). Standardized instruments were used to survey problematic alcohol use, problematic gaming, problematic social media use, problematic Internet use and mental health among 633 adolescents (mean age: 15.79 years). Bivariate correlation and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. The correlation analyses showed statistically significant positive bivariate relationships between all four behavioral patterns each. Antisocial behavior was related to all problematic behavioral patterns. Whereas, emotional distress, self-esteem problems and hyperactivity/inattention were associated with substance-unrelated problematic behavior patterns only. Anger control problems were related to problematic alcohol use and problematic gaming. In adolescence, the findings revealed small effect sizes between substance-related and substance-unrelated problematic behavior patterns, but moderate to large effect sizes within substance-unrelated behavioral patterns. Similarities and differences were found in the relations between the behavioral patterns and mental health.

Are video games intrinsically addictive? An international online survey

IntroductionGaming Disorder is a new category in the ICD-11 despite mixed evidence supporting its validity. In order to determine if this is a distinct and separate category of addiction, it is necessary to demonstrate a link between the inherent properties of video games, and problematic symptoms. The current study aimed to evaluate this link by examining differences in problematic video game use (PVGU) across different video game genres. Materials and methodsParticipants (N = 1958) aged 14 and above were recruited internationally through online English language video game forums and completed an online survey 10–30 min in length. ResultsWhen controlling for participants’ age and self-rated impulsivity scores, there were no overall differences in PVGU between genres (i.e., Role Playing Game, Action/Adventure, Shooter, Strategy, Simulation), or across different proportions of social play. Self-rated impulsivity and frequency of playtime were uniquely and positively associated with PVGU. ConclusionThe current study does not support the assertion that the type of video game played is related to levels of problem use, challenging the idea that video games themselves are ‘addictive’. Future research should explore whether, when controlling for impulsivity and social play, online only or Massively Multiplayer Online games are predictive of PVGU.

The role of personality on disordered gaming and game genre preferences in adolescence: Gender differences and person-environment transactions.

Playing video games is one of the world's most popular leisure activities, especially for teenagers. The main aim of the present study was to examine additive and moderation effects of gender and personality to explain individual differences in problematic gaming and video game genre preferences in adolescence. 776 Spanish high school students (mean age = 14.29 years, SD = 1.59, 50.64% girls) completed the questionnaires of the Five-Factor Model of personality, frequency of video gaming, disordered use, and the video games they mostly played.Gender differences were observed for gaming behaviors: boys played more and presented much more disordered gaming than girls. Boys preferred competitive genres; for example, action-shooters, sport, fight and strategy games. Girls preferred nonviolent and ocasional game genres; for example, social simulation, and brain and skill games. Gender moderated the association between personality and disordered gaming: disordered gaming was associated with low agreeableness and low conscientiousness in boys, and with low extraversion and low conscientiousness in girls. Low consciousnness moderated the association between gaming frequency and problematic use of video games: playing more video games led to disordered gaming, mainly in irresponsible and impulsive individuals. Though small, significant associations were found among all of the personality domains and video game genre preferences. These findings highlight the relevance of gender and personality for gaming behaviors in adolescence, and suggest paying more attention to gender-dependent differences and person-environment transactional processes when studying gaming-related behaviors.

Motivational Climate Is Associated with Use of Video Games and Violence in Schoolchildren: A Structural Equation Model According to Healthy Behaviors.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to develop an explanatory model of motivational climate, problematic use of videogames, violent behaviour and victimisation in schoolchildren. The sample included 734 children aged between 10 and 12 years of age from the province of Granada (Spain). A multi-group structural equation model was used, with an excellent fit (CFI = 0.964; NFI = 0.954; IFI = 0.964; RMSEA = 0.048). The results showed a positive relationship between the problematic use of video games, victimisation and violent behaviors, associating negatively with the task climate. Likewise, the task-oriented motivational climate was indirectly related to victimisation situations and violent behavior, while the ego climate did so positively with special emphasis on children who did not perform physical activity. As a main conclusion it is shown that adherence to the practice of physical activity, and particularly within a task-oriented motivational climate, can act as a protective factor against the problematic use of video games.

Prevalence of internet gaming disorder in India: a technological hazard among adolescents

Background: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) refers to the problematic use of on-line or off-line video games. Presently the prevalence of IGD among the adolescent group was between 1.3% to 19.9% and males reported more prevalence than females. Aims of this study was to know the prevalence and the various factors associated with the development IGD among adolescents.Methods: Settings and Design was to a cross sectional study was conducted among students of High schools for a period of 3 months from July 2018 - September 2018. Four hundred adolescent students were included in the study. English version of the DSM–5 short (9-item) dichotomous scale with cut-off point of five or more criteria was used for diagnosing the IGD.Statistical analysis used descriptive statistics were represented with frequencies and percentages. Chi-square and Fisher Exact tests were applied to find significance difference. P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results: An overall prevalence estimate of IGD was 3.50% among the school children and it is higher among male students (8.8%) than female students (0.8%) and it was found statistically significant with a p value of <0.001.Conclusions: The prevalence differences between Age groups, gender, class of the student and availability of smart phone with internet facility act as an important risk factors for the occurrence of IGD among adolescents.

Physical-healthy and psychosocial differences in school children: A study of gender

This study aims to examine gender differences according to physical-healthy habits, problematic use of video games and self-concept in Primary Education students in Granada. In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, 577 primary school students in Granada participated. The Questionnaire of Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) was used for the Mediterranean diet adherence variable, the Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Video Games (QERV) was applied to the problematic use of video games, and the self-concept, Five-Factor Self-Concept Questionnaire (AF-5) was used. In addition, the Body Mass Index (BMI) was measured and a self-registration sheet was used to record the age and gender of the individuals, daily hours of physical activity, hours of using digital screens and hours of sleeping. Main results and conclusions of the study, it should be noted that men have higher levels of regular physical activity, problematic use of video games, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and physical and family self-concept. While females show higher levels of body mass index and academic, social and emotional self-concept. Males showed that greater participation in physical-sports activities was associated with better adherence to the Mediterranean diet, levels of self-concept and fewer hours of sleep. In this sense, it should be noted that the females showed that the greater the practice of physical activity the lower the family self-concept. In addition, it was found that, in general, an adequate intake of the Mediterranean diet favours self-concept, while when this is low, the use of problematic video games is encouraged.

Behavior of Adolescents with Problematic Use of Videogames and Evaluation of Impairments in Cognitive Performance

Behavior of Adolescents with Problematic Use of Videogames and Evaluation of Impairments in Cognitive Performance

Multidimensional Self-Concept and Its Association with Problematic Use of Video Games in Spanish College Students

Background: At present, new technologies provide numerous benefits in their correct use, while the need arises to study the consumption of some technologies, in this case, videogames, due to the negative consequences that they can cause in those subjects who have not yet consolidated their personality due to their excessive use. The study aimed to determine and establish associations between the dimensions of self-concept and the problematic use of videogames and their gender differences. Methods: A total of 525 university students participated in this study, representing 44.7% of the male gender and 55.3% of the female gender, with an average age of M = 20.80 SD = 3.12 years old. The instruments used were the CESR and AF-5 questionnaires. Results: The results reveal the association (p ≤ 0.05) between the problematic use of videogames and the dimensions of self-concept, showing that students with severe or potential problems have lower levels of self-concept. In addition, it has been found that men have more problems associated with the use of video games than women. Men have a greater physical and emotional self-concept, while women have better social self-concept. Conclusions: This study highlights the inverse association between self-concept and problematic use of video games, a fact that shows the need to develop intervention programs aimed at improving self-concept and to reduce the problematic use of video games. Likewise, the levels of self-concept reveal that men have higher scores in the emotional and physical dimension, while women stand out in the social dimension.

Association of Motivational Climate With Addictive Behaviors Depending on Type of Sport in University Students: Structural Equation Analysis

This research study aims at contrasting a structural model of the associations between the alcohol consumption, tobacco dependence, and the problematic use of video games with motivational climate toward sport depending on the category of sports practiced in a sample of Physical Education university students. The sample consisted of 775 university students from the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain), aged between 21 and 35 (22.22 ± 3.76) years. The instruments used were the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and the Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Video Games (QERV) questionnaires. A path model that fitted properly in the multigroup analysis for both categories of sports was used, χ2 = 19.843; gl = 8; p = .011; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.911; normed fit index (NFI) = 0.903; incremental fit index (IFI) = 0.912; root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) = 0.085. An inverse association was shown between task climate and tobacco consumption in individual sports, being weaker in collective sports. This association is not significant for collective sports, but it is for individual sports for ego climate. However, a positive association was found between ego climate and the use of video games in individual sports, not being significant in the case of collective sports. The importance of promoting motivational climates oriented toward tasks that are based on the practice of collective sports is established, because they could act as protective factors against the development of addictive behavior in university students.

Behaviors Associated with Internet Use in Military Medical Students and Residents.

Problematic use of video games, social media, and Internet-related activities may be associated with sleep deprivation and poor work performance. The Internet Addiction Test was given to military medical and nursing students and housestaff to assess problematic Internet use. Medical and nursing students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and residents from Naval Medical Center San Diego were contacted via email (n = 1,000) and given a survey that included the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and questions asking about other specific lifestyle variables. Individuals who received an Internet Addiction Score (IAS) ≥50 were identified as likely experiencing harmful effects of Internet addiction (IA). Of 399 surveys submitted, 68 were omitted due to gross incompletion or failing to finish the entirety of the IAT. Of the participants included, 205 (61.1%) were male and 125 (37.9%) were female. The mean age was 28.6 years old (S.D. = 5.1 years). In regards to training status, completed surveys were assessed for 94 medical residents, 221 School of Medicine students, and 16 Graduate School of Nursing students. Our survey showed 5.5% of the participants (n = 18) indicated problems with Internet use that are concerning for IA. The study results indicated that our population showed problematic Internet use in the lower range of global estimates of IA. Rates of IA further decreased between medical students and residents. Multiple lifestyle variables were significantly associated with IA score and may serve as indicators of a higher score. Interestingly, the use of social media during sleeping hours was most significantly associated with increased IAS. This paper discusses IA among military medical and nursing trainees and how problematic Internet use may affect work performance and force readiness.

The "ABCDE" of video gaming control: Arguments, basic research, conceptual models, documented lessons, and evaluation.

This commentary responds to the review conducted by Király et al. (2018). The review enlightens and is useful in view of the limited studies on problematic use of video games and related control policies. It is argued that when considering regulation policies on video games, reference should be made to the arguments involved (A), basic research (B), conceptual models on problem video game use (C), documented lessons learning the broad field of addiction (D), and the need for rigorous evaluation (E). Besides “supply” reduction, it is vital to look at “demand” reduction in terms of how inner strengths may help to reduce the problematic use of video games.

Accordance of Adolescent and Parental Ratings of Internet Gaming Disorder and Their Associations with Psychosocial Aspects.

In 2013, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was incorporated in the DSM-5. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the inclusion of the new diagnosis "Gaming disorder" in the ICD-11. Both IGD and Gaming disorder refer to a problematic use of video games. Yet, IGD has thus far only been assessed by self-ratings, while external ratings have not been available. We adapted a frequently used screening tool for IGD (Internet Gaming Disorder Scale, IGDS) to a parental rating (Parental version of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale, PIGDS) and evaluated its psychometric properties. Data were collected in 1,970 face-to-face interviews (with 985 parents and 985 related adolescents) using a standardized questionnaire measuring adolescent IGD by self- and parental ratings and frequency of gaming, psychopathological burden, hyperactivity/inattention, family functioning, and school performance. Furthermore, we determined the accordance of adolescent and parental ratings for IGD. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analyses, and have determined reliability and concordance. We observed a one-dimensional factor structure of the PIGDS and its internal consistency was 0.86. We found very first indications of criterion validity for the PIGDS. The correlation between IGDS and PIGDS was 0.78 and we observed kappa coefficients between both ratings of 0.62 and 0.61 (based on the most suitable cutoff points for the PIGDS). Both adolescent and parental ratings of IGD were consistently associated with higher psychopathological burden, stronger hyperactivity/inattention, poorer family functioning, and poorer school performance. According to the results, a parental assessment of IGD in adolescence seems to be a promising new approach and it opens a new perspective in the exploration of IGD.

Problematic video game use as an emotional coping strategy: Evidence from a sample of MMORPG gamers.

BackgroundA positive relationship between problematic gaming and escapism motivation to play video games has been well established, suggesting that problematic gaming may result from attempts to deal with negative emotions. However, to date, no study has examined how emotion dysregulation affects both escapism motives and problematic gaming patterns.MethodsDifficulties in emotion regulation, escapism, and problematic involvement with video games were assessed in a sample of 390 World of Warcraft players. A structural equation modeling framework was used to test the hypothesis that escapism mediates the relationship between emotion dysregulation and problematic gaming.ResultsStatistical analyses showed that difficulties in emotion regulation predicted both escapism motives and problematic gaming, and that escapism partially mediated this relationship.ConclusionOur findings support the view that problematic players are likely to escape in online games as a maladaptive coping strategy for dealing with adverse emotional experiences.

Dissociation in Problematic Gaming: a Systematic Review

The present article consists of a systematic review of recent (2007–2018) empirical studies addressing the relationship between problematic gaming and dissociation. Nineteen peer-reviewed empirical studies that examined the relationship between problematic gaming and dissociation were identified. The findings suggest that excessive video game use is linked to a variety of dissociative phenomena (e.g. depersonalisation experiences, escapism, psychotic-like experiences, game transfer phenomena). Dissociative experiences are associated with problematic gaming. The findings support the hypothesis that problematic video game use can represent a maladaptive coping strategy on which people can rely to escape from disturbing mental states, adverse emotions or real-life problems. In these circumstances, dissociative symptoms might represent the side effects of an alteration in consciousness that is generated by excessive video game use. However, further research (especially experimental and longitudinal) is required in order to establish a potential causal link between problematic gaming patterns and dissociation.

Eating Habits and Lifestyles in Schoolchildren from Granada (Spain). A Pilot Study

The creation of healthy habits and lifestyles is fundamental in the educational field and for acquiring adequate health levels that will prevail in adulthood. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and correlations between the level of practice of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), body mass index (BMI) and problematic use of videogames and self-concept of primary education students. This non-experimental, cross-sectional study is composed of a sample of 577 students aged 10-12 years (11.1 ± 0.638). Subjects were evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence questionnaire (KIDMED), Self-Concept Form-5 (AF-5), Experiences Related to Videogames (QERV) and anthropometric measurements were taken following the guidelines of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. Most students have been found to be of normal weight, although one in five has problems with being overweight or experiencing obesity. Likewise, half of them need to improve their adherence to the Mediterranean diet, while they do not have a problematic use of videogames, although one tenth of them in these early ages offer severe problems and it is highlighted that students offer an adequate self-concept. It is also noted that BMI correlates positively with problematic videogame use and social self-concept. Greater addiction to videogames is associated with poorer academic performance, low levels of physical activity and poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Finally, it should be noted that the continued practice of physical-sports activity favors emotional competence and academic performance.

Clinical profile of adolescents being treated for problematic internet use

This study highlights the clinical profile of adolescents having consulted with an addiction treatment center (ATC) in Québec for a problematic internet use (PIU) to develop knowledge about these specific clients and precisely target their needs relative to treatment. The study was conducted with 80 adolescents between ages 14 and 17 (M = 15.59) who had consulted with an ACT for a PIU. Adolescents have participated in an interview documenting internet use patterns and their consequences, mental health disorder co-occurrence, and family and social relationships. The sample was constituted of 75 boys (93.8%) and 5 girls (6.3%), who spent an average of 55.8 hours (SD = 27.22) per week on internet for non-school or professional activities. Almost all of these youths (97.5%) presented a co-occurring mental health disorder, and more than 70% had seeked help last year for a psychological problem. Results show that 92.6% feel their internet use significantly hinders their family relationships, and 50% feel it impedes their social relationships. This study shows the multiple difficulties experienced by adolescents in need of a treatment for their PIU. The presence of co-occurring mental health disorders and relational difficulties among them underlines the need to develop and implement in ACTs integrated assessments and treatments that target not only online activities, but also all of life domains that can be affected by PIU. - PIU adolescents are mainly boys who report problematic use of video games. - Almost all young people who consult for PIU have comorbid mental health problems and difficulties in their relation. - The study highlights the need to offer to this clientele an integrated assessment and treatment services that target all areas of their lives who are likely to be affected, to contribute or maintain the PIU. - This study was conducted with a convenience sample and the results are representative of young people who have visited a treatment center for addiction. The generalization of results to all adolescents with PIU is limited. - Considering that PIU are subject to cultural influence, the scope of this study is limited to populations living in a culture similar to that of Quebec and Canada.

An Explanatory Model for the Relationship between Motivation in Sport, Victimization, and Video Game Use in Schoolchildren.

(1) Background: Society is changing amazingly fast, and this is bringing about changes in the way that people spend their free time. In the 21st century, free time is increasingly spent using technological devices such as video games, thus increasing levels of sedentariness. The aim of the present study was to define an explanatory model for the problematic use of video games, physical activity, motivational climate in sports, and victimization in schoolchildren, and to analyze the relationships between these variables according to gender; (2) Methods: A total of 734 schoolchildren, of both sexes, participated in this research study. They were aged from 10 to 12 and lived in the province of Granada (Spain). The main instruments used were the questionnaires PMCSQ-2, PAQ-C, QERV, and SVS. A multigroup structural equation model was used, which had an excellent fit (χ2 = 319.472; df = 72; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.962; NFI = 0.952; IFI = 0.962; RMSEA = 0.048); (3) Results: The practice of physical activity was related negatively and indirectly to the problematic use of video games ((r = −0.085, boys); (r = −0.081, girls)), and this in turn was related positively and directly to victimization ((r = 0.094, boys); (r = 0.174, girls)). Additionally, task climate was inversely related to the problematic use of video games for girls (r = −0.133), and ego climate was directly related to the use of these devices only with regard to boys (r = 0.250). (4) Conclusions: It must be noted that schoolchildren’s pathological use of video games is closely related to lower levels of physical activity. In addition, those motivational climates in sports that are oriented towards performance exacerbate this pathological behavior, which accentuates the importance of promoting motivational climates that are oriented towards tasks in schoolchildren.