Different types of screen-based sedentary time and anxiety in adolescents:Video games may be more important

AIM: Evidence demonstrates the negative impact of excessive screen-based sedentary time (screen-based sedentary behavior; SSB) on mental health in adolescents. However, little is known regarding the associations between different types of SSBs and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Thus, this study sought to explore the associations between different types of SSBs and anxiety symptoms in a sample of Chinese adolescents. METHODS: A web-based questionnaire survey was used to collect data. In total, 1,998 study participants conveniently recruited in Guangdong Province completed the questionnaire. Of them, 1,331 study participants provided valid data for variables of interest. SSB was categorized into television/movie time, video game time, and internet-surfing time. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, a validated assessment in Chinese youth populations. Generalized linear models were used to explore the associations between different types of SSBs and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: In adolescents, video game time of 6 or more h was positively and significantly associated with anxiety symptoms (odds ratio = 5.25, 95% CI: 1.86–14.84, p < 0.01). This association was also observed specifically in boys (odds ratio = 5.12, 95% CI: 1.56–17.44, p < 0.05); however, in girls, there were no associations between different types of SSBs and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Interventions aiming at reducing video games in adolescents, especially in boys, should be designed to prevent anxiety symptoms. This kind of intervention should also take sex differences into consideration. Future studies are encouraged to confirm the veracity of the findings in this study

Gaming and gaming disorder: a mediation model gender, salience, age of gaming onset, and time spent gaming

Females in empirically based peer-reviewed studies of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) are underrepresented, despite evidence that there are only minor gender disparities present in online gaming. Moreover, few studies have specifically evaluated adult gender effects, within a formal diagnosis of IGD, and behavioral motivation, as defined by the reinforcing behavioral function. A mediation analysis evaluated the relationship between gender, behavioral motivation, and the diagnostic features in online gaming among adults to understand the impact of motivation on videogame playing. This study interviewed 304 adults (aged >18 years) in which 178 identified as female. Participants completed the Video Game Functional Assessment-Revised (VGFA-R) and the 20-item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-20) through an online survey. Results showed that number of hours played per week, and subfactors of the VGFA-R differed between gender, indicating that the function and the maintaining of videogame play are essential in evaluating videogame addiction. These findings support and extend the literature's limited findings concerning gender and online gaming

Adolescent Motives, Gaming Behavior and Its Implications to Learning: The Case of Junior and Senior High School Students

While many individuals consider gaming as a diversion and a barrier to personal growth, the current research provides a fresh outlook on gaming behaviors. The study, which utilizes descriptive and correlational designs, investigates the motivational basis of gaming behavior among 246 adolescent gamers from a Junior and Senior High School Department in the City of Ilagan, Isabela. The study uses standardized tests to measure and compare the respondents' gaming behavior and motivation and analyzes the data through various statistical methods. The results show that the participants' gaming behaviors are mainly motivated by the domains of Recreation, Skill Development, and Coping. However, the study also reveals that excessive and problematic gaming can negatively affect academic performance, cognitive capacities, social and emotional development, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, and prosocial conduct. The study recommends that educators and game designers should consider the pros and cons of various gaming motives and integrate them into balanced learning experiences that promote cognitive, affective, and social growth. The study also highlights the importance of monitoring and moderating gaming behavior in educational settings to ensure healthy and balanced learning outcomes

Mediational role of gaming motives in the associations of the Five Factor Model of personality with weekly and disordered gaming in adolescents

Five Factor Model (FFM) personality dimensions are relevant distal factors for explaining videogaming behaviors that may act through more proximal variables such as motives. However, this mediational role of gaming motives in the relationships between FFM domains and gaming behaviors has not been examined yet. The present study explored direct and indirect effects of the FFM personality traits on weekly and disordered gaming via gaming motives among 364 adolescent players. Structural equation modeling revealed that disordered gaming was directly predicted by conscientiousness and directly and indirectly, via coping motives, by neuroticism. Low agreeableness was associated with disordered gaming through social interaction. On the other hand, low agreeableness presented significant total effects on weekly gaming. The findings suggest risky personality pathways observed in drug use and abuse are also found in regular and disordered gaming such as the negative affect regulation pathway and a possible deviance proneness pathway.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

The use of digital technologies, impulsivity and psychopathological symptoms in adolescence

Abstract: Background and aims: Past research on the associations between psychopathological symptoms and technological-based addictions, i.e., Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Social Media Addiction (SMA), showed contradictory results in adolescents and adult populations. The present study investigated correlations between adolescents’ psychopathological risks and impulsivity, IGD and SMA. Methods: A sample of 656 participants (338 males; Mage = 16.32 years) was divided into three age groups (early, mid-, and late adolescence) and completed a battery of scales comprising the (i) Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short Form, (ii) Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, (iii) Barratt Impulsiveness Scale for Adolescents, and (iv) Symptom Checklist-90-R. Results: The significance of the correlations was not corroborated in the basic tables. Significant associations appeared only in the adolescent subgroups, sometimes for bivariate and sometimes for partial correlations and with different patterns of associations between males and females. Moreover, both technological addictions were correlated with impulsiveness in bivariate and partial correlations. Discussion and conclusions: Following a developmentally-oriented approach to determine the patterns of associations between technological behavioral addictions and psychopathology in the specific sub-phases of early-, mid- and late-adolescence, this exploratory research showed how these associations might change depending on the developmental phase and gender of the individual. Future research is needed to provide empirical evidence of specific emotional–psychopathological correlations

Developing the Teacher Form of Computer Game Attitude Scale

Bu çalışmanın amacı, öğretmenlerin bilgisayar oyunlarına yönelik bir tutum ölçeği geliştirmektir. Bilgisayar Oyunları Tutum Ölçeği-Öğretmen Formu (BOTÖ-ÖF), geliştirilirken daha önce Yeşilyurt ve Demirbaş-Çelik (2019) tarafından Bilgisayar Oyunları Tutum Ölçeği-Ebeveyne Formu’ndan esinlenilmiştir. Bu ölçekte yer alan maddeler öğretmenlere yönelik olarak değiştirilmiştir. Araştırma iki farklı çalışma grubu bulunmaktadır. Birinci çalışma grubu, açımlayıcı faktör analizi ve güvenirlik analizini yapmak üzere 109 öğretmenden oluşmaktadır. İkinci çalışma grubu doğrulayıcı faktör analizini yapmak üzere 98 öğretmenden oluşmaktadır. Ölçeğin Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) katsayısı .848, Barlett Testi anlamlılık değeri χ 2 =469.086; p < .01 bulunmuştur. Ölçeğin Negatif yaklaşım boyutunun iç tutarlılık katsayısı, .89; pozitif yaklaşım için .75 olarak bulunmuştur. Bu sonuçlara göre ölçek geçerli ve güvenilir bir araçtır. Ayrıca kendileri bilgisayar oyunu oynayan öğretmenler öğrencinin oynamasına pozitif yaklaşım düzeyleri daha yüksektir. Öğretmenlerin mesleki deneyimine göre bilgisayar oyun tutumları değişmemektedir.This study aims to develop an attitude scale that will determine teachers' attitudes towards computer games. Computer Games Attitude Scale-Parent Form prepared by Yeşilyurt and Demirbaş-Çelik (2019) was used in the development phase of the Computer Games Attitude Scale-Teacher Form (CGAS-TF). The items on this scale have been changed for teachers. There are two different study groups in the research. The first study group consists of 109 teachers to perform exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. The second study group consists of 98 teachers to perform the confirmatory factor analysis. According to the results, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) coefficient of the scale was .848, Bartlett's test significance value was χ 2 = 469.086; p <.0. While the internal consistency coefficient of the scale's negative approach dimension was .89, it turned out to be .75 for the positive approach. According to these results, the scale was determined as a valid and reliable tool. Besides, teachers who play computer games have higher positive attitude levels towards students' playing computer games. Computer game attitudes of teachers do not change depending on their professional experiences

Internet gaming as a coping method among schizophrenic patients facing psychological distress

Background and aims: Patients with schizophrenia are known to use potentially addictive psychoactive substances as self-medication and to ease psychological distress. Other potentially addictive behaviors such as online gaming are also used to self-medicate and ease psychological distress. However, the role of online gaming and problematic gaming (in the form of internet gaming disorder [IGD]) has not previously been investigated for patients with schizophrenia facing distress. Methods: One hundred and four participants diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited and completed a number of psychometric scales including the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSPS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS-SF9), Self-Stigma Scale-Short (SSS-S), and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results: The results showed significant negative associations between PSPS, IGDS-SF9, and DASS-21, and significant positive correlations between the IGDS-SF-9, SSS-S and DASS-21. Moreover, IGD did not mediate the association between self-stigma and depression. However, IGD significantly mediated the association between self-stigma and anxiety, and the association between self-stigma and stress. In addition, (i) age and self-stigma were significant predictors for IGD; (ii) social function and self-stigma were significant predictors for depression; (iii) social function, self-stigma, and IGD were significant predictors for anxiety; and (iv) self-stigma and IGD were significant predictors for stress. Conclusion: The findings suggest that online gaming may be a coping strategy for individuals with schizophrenia with psychological stress and self-stigma and that for some of these individuals, their gaming may be problematic

Motives to play videogames across seven countries: Measurement invariance of the Videogaming Motives Questionnaire

Introduction. Gaming motives appear to be an important predictor of time spent gaming and disordered gaming. The Videogaming Motives Questionnaire (VMQ) has shown adequate psychometric properties to assess gaming motives among Spanish college students. However, the utility of this measure has not yet been explored in other cultures. This research aimed to examine the structure and measurement invariance of the VMQ across seven countries and gender groups, and to provide criterion-related validity evidence for VMQ scores. Method. College students who reported having played videogames in the last year (n = 5192; 59.07 % women) from the US, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, England, and Uruguay completed an online survey to measure time spent gaming, disordered gaming, and the VMQ. Results. Findings support a 24-item 8-intercorrelated factor model structure for the VMQ in the total sample. Our results also support configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the VMQ across gender groups and countries. Students from North America (US and Canada) scored higher on most gaming motives (except recreation and cognitive development) than students from the other countries. The correlations between VMQ and non-VMQ variables were similar across gender and countries, except in England where VMQ correlations with time spent gaming were stronger. Discussion. These results suggest that the VMQ is a useful measure for assessing gaming motives across young adults from different countries.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

Prevalence and Correlates of Internet Gaming Disorder Among an Advanced Level Student Population from Colombo, Sri Lanka

Background: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is rising in many low and middle-income countries owing to the increasing popularity of electronic gaming and technology availability among adolescents. However, the epidemiology of IGD in South Asia remains largely unknown. We aimed to determine IGD’s prevalence and associations, including motivations for gaming, among a Sri Lankan school-going population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Advanced Level students aged 16-18 attending four Colombo Educational Zone schools. Of the 412 randomly sampled recruits, 395 consenting participants filled a pretested questionnaire exploring gaming habits, motivations, and psychosocial factors. English and Sinhala versions of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) were used, and IGD was identified if ?5 items in the scale were endorsed. The Sinhala IGDS9-SF demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability, and its factorial validity was affirmed via Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results: Among the sample, 81.5% (n=322) were gamers. A majority of these gamers preferred mobile gaming (64.0%) and Multiplayer Battle Royale games (27.0%). The prevalence of IGD was 5.06% (95% CI = 2.90–7.22) and was significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) among males, who constituted 52.4% of the sample. Daily weekday gaming for ?6h, low involvement in student societies, poor relationship with parents, escape motive, and fantasy motive were positively associated with IGD, and the Competition motive was negatively associated with IGD in multivariable analyses. Conclusion: The prevalence of IGD was considerably high in our student population and is associated with specific motives, poor parent-child relationships, and low extra-curricular involvement