The Psychological Study of Video Game Players: Methodological Challenges and Practical Advice (original) (raw)
Gaming addiction has become a topic of increasing research interest. The last decade has witnessed a significant increase in the number of empirical studies examining various aspects of problematic video game play and video game addiction. This paper begins with a brief past history of how research into video game addiction has changed over the last three decade (i.e., the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s). It then examines more thoroughly the contemporary research literature by analyzing the (i) prevalence of problematic video game use and video game addiction, (ii) negative consequences of excessive video game use, (iii) factors associated with problematic video game use and video game addiction, and (iv) the treatment of problematic video game use and video game addiction. The paper concludes by looking at the trends in the field and a somewhat theoretical examination of what the future of video game addiction might be.
Video gaming has become a popular leisure activity in many parts of the world, and an increasing number of empirical studies examine the small minority that appears to develop problems as a result of excessive gaming. This study investigated prevalence rates and predictors of video game addiction in a sample of gamers, randomly selected from the National Population Registry of Norway (N=3389). Results showed there were 1.4 % addicted gamers, 7.3 % problem gamers, 3.9 % engaged gamers, and 87.4 % normal gamers. Gender (being male) and age group (being young) were positively associated with addicted-, problem-, and engaged gamers. Place of birth (Africa, Asia, South- and Middle America) were positively associated with addicted- and problem gamers. Video game addiction was negatively associated with conscientiousness and positively associated with neuroticism. Poor psychosomatic health was positively associated with problem- and engaged gaming. These factors provide insight into the field of video game addiction, and may help to provide guidance as to how individuals that are at risk of becoming addicted gamers can be identified.
Recent innovations in video game addiction research and theory
Global Media Journal: Australian Edition, 2010
In 1989, Margaret Shotton published her pioneering study of psychological dependency on computer technology. Since then, the empirical research literature on technology-based addictions, particularly addiction to the Internet and online video games, has grown dramatically in both the Western and Eastern contexts. Expansion of this research area reflects a dramatic growth in the popularity of new interactive digital technologies, as well as mounting concern among health professionals that some ...
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2015
Video gaming has become a popular leisure activity in many parts of the world, and an increasing number of empirical studies examine the small minority that appears to develop problems as a result of excessive gaming. This study investigated prevalence rates and predictors of video game addiction in a sample of gamers, randomly selected from the National Population Registry of Norway (N=3389). Results showed there were 1.4 % addicted gamers, 7.3 % problem gamers, 3.9 % engaged gamers, and 87.4 % normal gamers. Gender (being male) and age group (being young) were positively associated with addicted-, problem-, and engaged gamers. Place of birth (Africa, Asia, South-and Middle America) were positively associated with addicted-and problem gamers. Video game addiction was negatively associated with conscientiousness and positively associated with neuroticism. Poor psychosomatic health was positively associated with problem-and engaged gaming. These factors provide insight into the field of video game addiction, and may help to provide guidance as to how individuals that are at risk of becoming addicted gamers can be identified.
Turning Data into People: Player perspectives on game addiction
— Internet gaming disorder, also known as video game addiction and pathological gaming, has officially been proposed as a psychiatric disorder. Numerous studies have investigated the prevalence of the disorder, but the prevalence rates that they arrive at vary in the extreme (from 0.6% to 44.5%). This discrepancy between studies inevitably raises questions about what they actually measure. To explore this further five young men who were candidates for this new diagnosis where asked to fill out a questionnaire probing pathological gaming and interviewed about how they understood the questions and their thoughts on video game addiction in general. Thus, this paper presents the results of a qualitative investigation of the face-validity of quantitative research on video game addiction. The interviews showed that the respondents often misunderstood the intention of the questions, misjudged the severity of the negative effects that the questions probed and often interpreted the questions very differently. Only one of the respondents believed pathological gaming to be a primary disorder, but he also believed it to promote more positive than negative effects. The rest of the respondent either did not believe in the disorder at all or believed it to be secondary to other problems, such as anxiety or depression.
Is there such a thing as online video game addiction? A cross- disciplinary review
Drawing on explanatory pluralism this cross-disciplinary theoretical study asks whether excessive compulsive online gaming can be called an addiction on the basis of what is known about the disorder. This article discusses the concept of addiction; the social seating of the problems and it reviews, recent scientific literature on criteria used for diagnosing addictions. In addition, contributions by brain science are discussed. The study unfolds different dimensions of the problem and concludes by stating that research indicate that there indeed seems to be a type of problematic online gaming behavior, which bears similarities to such an extent with the essence of the concept and the phenomenon of addiction that it can beneficially lend itself and be compared to it. The authors suggest that this behavioral addiction may differ from drug addictions in magnitude , but not in kind. In addition, the authors find a possible solution for conceptualizing behavioral addictions by a general de-medicalization of the concept of addiction.
Challenges for Game Addiction as a Mental Health Diagnosis
In this paper, we outline the proposed PhD project: "Challenges for Game Addiction as a Mental Health Diagnosis". The project aims to bridge gaps between the perspectives, theories and data of current research trajectories that engage with the concept of game addiction; from psychology, psychiatry, cognitive neuroscience to media and game studies. The project has several proposed outcomes. Based on a review of the literature, the adequacy of 'game addiction' as a concept is questioned. The concept is further discussed in a historical perspective of game related pathologies and media/moral panics. The validity of the prevalent instruments used to assess the prevalence of computer game addiction is examined in a cross-disciplinary context. The argument of the project is that research on computer game addiction is limited by mono-disciplinary approaches that fail to capture significant nuances at the cost of validity of results and instruments. The lack of communication between researchers has resulted in qualitative research that deny the existence of computer game addiction and quantitative research that assert the existence and prevalence of the phenomenon. Qualitative research cannot claim to capture as wide a sample as quantitative research and quantitative research cannot claim to capture the deep understanding and nuances of qualitative research. When the two methods produce conflicting results it stands to reason that a dispassionate review and analysis is necessary.
ICAI, 2019
To talk about the relationship between psychology and video games is to talk almost completely about the studies of the effects video games cause to its users. Therefore, it can be said that most of the psychology matters concerning video games have focused on the effects they have on the users’ personality, health, and psychosocial aspects. This essay gives a recount of the attempts to evaluate the effects video games have on users from a psychological outlook. Thus, the problems video game studies have had due to a conservative ideology that marks the designs of today’s psychology can be observed. Since its recent incorporation as a disorder in the non-substance related addictions section within the DSM-5, until its definitive incorporation into the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), we can clearly identify a timeline of events and processes that have led to the construction of a discourse about the dangers of video games in people’s mental health.
Antecedents and consequences of game addiction
Antecedents and consequences of game addiction are investigated. Correlation study method is utilized; structural equation modeling is applied to analyze the data. There are eleven hypotheses generated for the model. The data is collected via numerous instruments proven as reliable and valid by the previous studies. There are 159 undergraduate students as participants of the study. Antecedent variables are socioeconomic status (SES), computer-ownership, gender, smoking, online and computer gaming, moth-ers' employment and education level. Consequence variables are grade point average, self-esteem, and self-confidence. The results indicates that socioeconomic status, smoking, online gaming, computer gaming , and mother employment status increased game addiction; whereas, gender (female) and mother education level decreased game addiction. SES, gender, online and computer gaming affect game addiction significantly; smoking, mothers' employment status and education level do not have a significant impact. For the consequences, game addiction decreases significantly GPA and Self-Esteem; it does not influence significantly in self-confidence. Parents and educational institutions may be illuminated about prevention or monitoring of excessive online or computer game playing. Further research studies and implications are presented and discussed.