MMORPG gaming and hostility predict internet addiction symptoms in adolescents: an empirical multilevel longitudinal study

Internet addiction (IA) has become an increasingly researched topic. In the present study, IA symptoms in adolescents were investigated longitudinally with specific focus on the individual’s hostility, gaming use (of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games [MMORPGs]) and gaming on the classroom level (calculated using the percentage of MMORPG players within classes). The sample comprised 648 Greek adolescents who were assessed over a two-year period (aged 16-18 years). IA symptoms were assessed with the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and hostility with the relevant subscale of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). A three-level hierarchical linear model was used to differentiate individual and classroom-level influences on IA symptoms at age 16 years and over time. MMORPG gamers and more hostile adolescents presented more symptoms of IA. However, being a member of a classroom with a higher percentage of MMORPG gamers appeared to be a protective factor for IA. These longitudinal data emphasize the importance of contextual factors at the level of the classroom in determining differences in IA symptoms during adolescence

Internet Gaming Disorder Behaviors in emergent adulthood: a pilot study examining the interplay between anxiety and family cohesion

Understanding risk and protective factors associated with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been highlighted as a research priority by the American Psychiatric Association, (2013). The present study focused on the potential IGD risk effect of anxiety and the buffering role of family cohesion on this association. A sample of emerging adults all of whom were massively multiplayer online (MMO) gamers (18–29 years) residing in Australia were assessed longitudinally (face-to-face: N = 61, Mage = 23.02 years, SD = 3.43) and cross-sectionally (online: N = 64, Mage = 23.34 years, SD = 3.39). IGD symptoms were assessed using the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS-SF9; Pontes & Griffiths Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.006, 2015). The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck and Steer, 1990) and the balanced family cohesion scale (BFC; Olson Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 3(1) 64–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00175.x, 2011) were applied to assess anxiety and BFC levels, respectively. Linear regressions and moderation analyses confirmed that anxiety increased IGD risk and that BFC weakened the anxiety-related IGD risk

Parent ratings of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire : What is the optimum factor model?

To date, at least 12 different models have been suggested for the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The current study used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the relative support for these models. In all, 1,407 Malaysian parents completed SDQ ratings of their children (age range = 5-13 years). Although the findings showed some degree of support for all 12 models, there was most support for an oblique six-factor model that included the five SDQ domains (emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior) and a positive construal factor comprising all the 10 SDQ positive worded items. The original proposed five-factor oblique model also showed good fit. The implications of the findings for understanding the results of past studies of the structural models of the parent version of the SDQ, and for clinical and research practice involving the SDQ are discussed

Recognizing internet addiction: Prevalence and relationship to academic achievement in adolescents enrolled in urban and rural Greek high schools

This study aims: a) to estimate the prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents of urban and rural areas in Greece, b) to examine whether the Internet Addiction Test cut-off point is applicable to them and c) to investigate the phenomenon's association with academic achievement. Participants were 2090 adolescents (mean age 16, 1036 males, 1050 females). Young's (1998) Internet Addiction Test and her Diagnostic Questionnaire were applied. School records' grades were retrieved. A 3.1% prevalence revealed, while boys {F (1, 1642) = 6.207, p < .05}, urban residents {F (1, 1642) = 5.53, p > .05} and academic track high school students {F (1, 1642) = 5.30, p < .05} were at higher risk. An Internet Addiction Test score of 51 points (sample's mean = 27.69, SD = 17.38) was proposed as the optimal cut-off point combining high sensitivity (98%) and specificity (91%). Finally, findings illustrated the syndrome's relation to worse academic achievement {F (1, 1725) = 0.93, p > .05}

Isokinetic peak torque and hamstring / quadriceps ratios in young basketball players : effects of age, velocity and contraction mode

Profil isocinétique extensif de l'articulation du genou chez de jeunes joueurs de basketball de 12-17 ans, au principal moment de la croissance

A Semantic Framework to Detect Problems in Activities of Daily Living Monitored through Smart Home Sensors

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are fundamental routine tasks that the majority of physically and mentally healthy people can independently execute. In this paper, we present a semantic framework for detecting problems in ADLs execution, monitored through smart home sensors. In the context of this work, we conducted a pilot study, gathering raw data from various sensors and devices installed in a smart home environment. The proposed framework combines multiple Semantic Web technologies (i.e., ontology, RDF, triplestore) to handle and transform these raw data into meaningful representations, forming a knowledge graph. Subsequently, SPARQL queries are used to define and construct explicit rules to detect problematic behaviors in ADL execution, a procedure that leads to generating new implicit knowledge. Finally, all available results are visualized in a clinician dashboard. The proposed framework can monitor the deterioration of ADLs performance for people across the dementia spectrum by offering a comprehensive way for clinicians to describe problematic behaviors in the everyday life of an individual