The Impact of Pandemic-Related Life Stress on Internet Gaming: Social Cynicism and Gaming Motivation as Serial Mediators (original) (raw)
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Gaming as a coping strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Cyberpsychology, 2023
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, social interactions were constrained by physical distancing guidelines. Consequently, some individuals may have turned to video games to cope with isolation and negative emotions. Previous studies have shown that people who struggle with anxiety and depression are at particular risk for developing problem gaming behaviours. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research testing pathways from negative emotionality to problem gaming behaviours, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, we conducted a multi-wave longitudinal study and predicted that high levels of emotional vulnerability (anxiety and depression) in the first month of the pandemic would prospectively relate to elevated time spent gaming and related problems six months later. We also predicted that elevated coping motives for gaming would mediate these associations. A sample of 332 Canadian gamers (Mage = 33.79; 60.8% men) completed three surveys on Prolific, with the first occurring in April 2020 (one-month after the declared COVID-19 state of emergency) and subsequent surveys were spaced three months apart. High initial levels of emotional vulnerability predicted excessive time spent gaming, as well as related problems, six months into the pandemic. Elevated coping motives for gaming uniquely mediated these pathways. This longitudinal study is the first to show that negative emotionality was a vulnerability factor for coping-related problem gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to cope with the longer-lasting impacts of the pandemic, it will be important for individuals who struggle with mood and anxiety issues to find more effective ways of coping.
International journal of psychology and behavioral sciences, 2021
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the total number of hours and total amount of money spent by Chinese game players on pay-to-play online games has increased dramatically. The current study's goal is to investigate the demographic characteristics, internet game playing patterns, and socio-psychological situations of 410 young people aged 15 to 40 in Hong Kong. From March to June 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted using purposive sampling on pay-to-play internet game players. A 9-item Internet Gaming Scale (IGD) and a Socio-psychological Determinants Checklist-15 are among the measurement instruments used. To investigate the correlations between demographic data, socio-psychological variables, and internet gaming disorder displacement, chi-square, crosstab, and logistic regression analyses were used. The prevalence rate of internet gaming disorder was 74.4% (n=305) among the 410 respondents, with a mean age of 26.8 years old (SD=6.7). Approximately 29% of respondents spent more than 5 hours per day and 20% spent more than HKD1,000 per month on internet games. Meanwhile, 86.3% of respondents played internet games on their mobile phones. According to bivariate analysis, internet gaming disorder was associated with gender, gaming hours, education, salary, money spent on internet games, and socio-psychosocial factors. In a logistic regression model, internet gaming disorder was correlated with daily gaming hours. The findings suggested the prevalence of internet gaming disorder among internet game players in Hong Kong. In view of the high percentage in internet gaming disorder, should we reconsider the inclusion and exclusion of criteria for IGD. In addition, preventive measures should be developed to help individuals with the socio-psychological determinants. Internet gaming disorder was found to be related to daily gaming hours in a logistic regression model. The findings indicated a high prevalence of internet gaming disorder among Hong Kong internet game players. Given the high prevalence of internet gaming disorder, should we reconsider the inclusion and exclusion of IGD criteria? Furthermore, preventive measures to assist individuals with the socio-psychological determinants should be developed.
Problematic video game use as an emotional coping strategy: Evidence from a sample of MMORPG gamers
Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2019
Background A 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. Methods Difficulties 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. Results Statistical analyses showed that difficulties in emotion regulation predicted both escapism motives and problematic gaming, and that escapism partially mediated this relationship. Conclusion Our findings support the view that problematic players are likely to escape in online games as a maladaptive coping st...
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant earthquakes in Croatia in 2020, increased Internet use (IU) and Internet-based addictive behaviors were associated with decreasing mental well-being. We determined the changes in IU, problematic IU (PIU), and problematic specific Internet activities in young adults during the prolonged stress caused by the pandemic and earthquakes, age differences in PIU and differences in perceived source of stress (pandemic or earthquakes), and association between PIU and increase in specific Internet activities and stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in young adults. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey conducted from September 30, 2021 to October 17, 2021 included 353 young adults aged 22.6 ± 2.1 years, 382 early adults aged 32.1 ± 4.4 years, and 371 middle-aged adults aged 49.0 ± 6.5 years. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, stressors (without perceived stressors, only pandemic-related stressor, only earthquake-related stressor, and both pandemicand earthquake-related stressors), PIU and IU were collected with a self-report questionnaire. The Impact of Event Scale and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale were used to evaluate mental symptoms. PIU and problematic specific Internet activities were assessed using Tao et al.'s criteria. Data were anaylzed with paired-sample Wilcoxon test, McNemar's and Pearson's chi-square tests, and structural equation modeling. Results: In 17% of young adults, we found increased PIU (OR = 5.15, 95% CI [2.82, 10.18]), problematic social media use (OR = 2.77, 95% CI [1.56, 5.14]), and uncontrolled online shopping (OR = 5.75, 95% CI [1.97, 22.87]) (p < 0.001 for all). PIU and problematic social media use were more common among young adults (60.8%), as well as problematic online gaming (25.9%). Problematic social media use was more frequent among young adults reporting pandemic stress than among those without perceived stress (69.9% vs. 43.2%). Increased online gaming predicted more severe avoidance symptoms (p = 0.041), increased social media use predicted more severe depression symptoms (p = 0.017), increased online shopping predicted more severe intrusion (p = 0.013) and anxiety symptoms (p = 0.001). PIU predicted more severe intrusion (p = 0.008), avoidance (p = 0.01), anxiety (p < 0.001), and depression (p = 0.012) symptoms.
International Journal of Educational Methodology
Online game addiction and psychological distress are two continuously developing problems in the Philippines, with Filipinos aged 18 to 24 being the second largest age group to overuse interactive online-related games. This sequential explanatory mixed method study aimed to assess the young adults’ gaming addiction and perceived psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the other factors contributing to the respondents’ frequent engagement in online interactive games, which served as a basis for a preventive intervention program. The researcher administered the survey questionnaires of the Gaming Addiction Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 to 399 young adults aged 18–24 and a semi-structured interview guide to 20 addicted and non-addicted gamers. Key results showed that a small percentage of the respondents experienced polythetic and serious monothetic addiction to interactive online games. In contrast, half of the respondents manifested mild to mod...
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2015
The rapid expansion of online video gaming as a leisure time activity has led to the appearance of problematic online gaming (POG). According to the literature, POG is associated with different psychiatric symptoms (eg, depression, anxiety) and with specific gaming motives (ie, escape, achievement). Based on studies of alcohol use that suggest a mediator role of drinking motives between distal influences (eg, trauma symptoms) and drinking problems, this study examined the assumption that there is an indirect link between psychiatric distress and POG via the mediation of gaming motives. Furthermore, it was also assumed that there was a moderator effect of gender and game type preference based on the important role gender plays in POG and the structural differences between different game types. Objective: This study had two aims. The first aim was to test the mediating role of online gaming motives between psychiatric symptoms and problematic use of online games. The second aim was to test the moderator effect of gender and game type preference in this mediation model.
International Journal of Psychological Studies
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in many different ways. One significant impact on daily life was the increased indoor time due to quarantine measures. Data collected suggests video games have become more popular than ever during these unprecedented times (Epstein, 2020). This study aims to explore the experiences and psychosocial well-being of individuals who played single and multiplayer video games during the pandemic. Data was collected through a questionnaire distributed to multiple online communities and forums from June 28th to July 29th, 2021. The total collected responses were n=260. 132 participants identified themselves as playing mostly single-player video games and 128 identified themselves as playing mostly multiplayer games. The results show during the pandemic individuals spent more time playing both types of video games. Motivations for playing single-player games trended towards decreasing anxiety and stress, and avoiding real life, whereas multiplayer ...
Coping, Resilience, and Perceived Stress in Individuals with Internet Gaming Disorder in Taiwan
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Aim: Gaming escapism is an essential factor for developing internet gaming disorder (IGD). We evaluated coping strategies, resilience, stress, and depression in individuals with IGD. Methods: We included 69 participants with IGD and 138 controls (69 regular gamers and other non-gamers) in Taiwan. The self-reported coping strategies, coping stress with gaming, resilience, perceived stress, and depression were assessed. Results: Participants with IGD had higher dysfunctional coping, coping stress by gaming, perceived stress, and depression, as well as lower problem-focused coping and resilience. Regression analysis revealed that coping by gaming was associated with dysfunctional coping mechanisms, particularly venting and self-distraction. Compared with participants with adequate resilience, those with lower resilience had higher perceived stress, depression, and coping by gaming, and lower problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Dysfunctional coping and coping by gaming were asso...
Journal of Behavioral Addictions
Background and aims Vulnerability to stress appears to be a potential predisposing factor for developing specific internet-use disorders, such as Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Studies investigating the protective effect of psychological resilience against the impact of perceived stress on IGD and weekly gameplay have yet to be reported in the existing literature. The aim of this study was to examine the potential moderating relationships between perceived stress and online gaming (more specifically operationalized as IGD and weekly gameplay) with psychological resilience. Methods An online survey was administered to 605 participants (males = 82%, Mage = 24.01 years, SDage = 6.11). A multivariate multiple regression model was applied to test for the possible contribution of perceived stress and psychological resilience to weekly gameplay and IGD. Results Perceived stress was associated with higher scores of IGD, whereas psychological resilience was related to lower scores of IGD. I...
Amid Covid-19: The Rise of Gaming Addiction
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the social lifestyles of millions of people all over the world. It is a serious threat to public health and has spread rapidly around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the first reported case, which originated in Wuhan, on January 12, 2020. Meanwhile, on January 25, 2020, the first case in Malaysia was reported. To break the Covid-19 chain, the Malaysian government imposed a Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18, 2020. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on the gaming addiction situation among Malaysian adolescents through the implementation of MCO. METHODOLOGY: This study focuses on Malaysian adolescents aged 18 to 21 who engage in online gaming, either mobile gaming or desktop gaming. The study's methodology includes an online survey via Google Forms and an online focused group (FG) session. Before being invited to the focused group discussion, participants were asked to complete an online screening survey using Dr. Kimberly S. Young's Young-Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ; 1998). (FGD). The FGD result is recorded and transcribed for the analysis process. RESULT: Participants reported spending 4 to 5 hours on weekdays and more than 6 hours on weekends playing Mobile Legend (ML), their preferred online gaming platform. Furthermore, it was reported that siblings and friends influenced respondents to participate in online gaming.