Pathologic use of video games and gotivation. Can the Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) predict depression and trait anxiety?

Videogaming is an increasingly prevalent activity among adolescents worldwide. The present study aimed at adapting the Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) to the Italian context, assessing its psychometric properties and verifying its sensitivity to predict depression and anxiety levels. From a sample of 1899 participants, a group of 388 adolescents who participated in the survey was divided into two subgroups of Heavy (HG, N = 188) and Light Gamers (LG, N = 200). A sub-sample of N = 172 adolescents also filled-in CESD and STAI to assess, respectively, depression and trait anxiety. Internal consistency and factorial structure of the Italian version of GAMS (GAMS-it) have been evaluated. Moreover, a latent regression structural equation model by predicting the CES-D and STAI scores with the GAMS-it factors has been carried out. GAMS-it has adequate validity and reliability levels, showing a very similar factorial structure to the original version. Therefore, this scale can be used to evaluate gaming motivation, which is useful for gaming motivation screening. Finally, it has been found that lower gaming motivation can be related to high level of depression and anxiety. The present findings provide a coherent picture, supporting the reliability and validity of the GAMS-it, that appears potentially useful in predicting anxiety and depression levels in a population of adolescent

Adattamento italiano della Assessment of Internet and Computer game Addiction scale (AICAs-Ita)

Il videogaming è un'attività sempre più diffusa tra adolescenti e adulti di tutto il mondo. Il presente studio ha l’obiettivo di adattare e valutare le proprietà psicometriche della versione italiana della Assessment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction scale (AICAs-Ita), una scala sviluppata e validata recentemente in Germania. Sono stati condotti tre distinti studi: il primo per confermare la struttura fattoriale della scala, il secondo per valutare la validità di costrutto, e il terzo per valutare se i punteggi dell’AICAs-Ita possano predire i livelli di depressione e ansia dei videogiocatori. A tal fine sono stati coinvolti tre diversi campioni di adolescenti italiani (di età compresa tra 14 e 19 anni) cui è stato chiesto di compilare l’AICAsIta, oltre alle scale GAMS e BIS-11 per lo studio 2, e CESD e STAI per lo studio 3. I risultati hanno sottolineato la qualità psicometrica dell'AICAs-Ita in termini di affidabilità e validità. La versione italiana della scala appare quindi essere uno strumento utile per valutare la dipendenza da videogiochi che potrà fruttuosamente essere utilizzato in questo crescente ambito di ricerca, per definire popolazioni di individui a potenziale rischio di dipendenza da nuove tecnologieVideogaming is an increasingly popular activity among teenagers and adults around the world. The present study aims to adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Assessment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction Scale (AICAs-Ita), a scale recently developed and validated in Germany. Three separate studies were conducted: the first to confirm the factorial structure of the scale, the second to evaluate the validity of the construct, and the third to assess whether AICAs-Ita scores can predict levels of depression and anxiety among gamers. To this end, three different samples of Italian adolescents were involved (aged between 14 and 19) who were asked to complete the AICAs-Ita, in addition to the GAMS and BIS-11 scales for study 2, and CESD and STAY for study 3. The results underlined the psychometric quality of AICAs-Ita in terms of reliability and validity. The Italian version of the scale therefore appears to be a useful tool for assessing video game addiction that can be fruitfully used in this growing field of research, to define populations of individuals at potential risk of dependence on new technologies

Exposure to video games: effects on sleep and on post-sleep cognitive abilities. A sistematic review of experimental evidences

The public opinion is ever more interested and worried about possible effects of exposure to VGs (video games) on human life and well-being. Scientific literature shows several evidences highlighting negative outcomes on behavioural, emotive, cognitive and physical health spheres. All these aspects are intrinsically linked to sleep quality and quantity and to date very few studies directly investigated the effects of videogame (VG) exposure on sleep and post-sleep cognitive status. The aim of the present systematic review is to examine the impact that the exposure to VGs can produce on sleep pattern and the consequent post-sleep cognitive abilities. To this extent, only studies directly investigating the effects of VGs on sleep features and post-sleep cognitive abilities have been selected and discussed. Data currently present in literature show the alteration of sleep pattern after exposure to VGs. The analysis indicated a reduction of Total Sleep Time (TST) and an increase of Sleep Onset Latency (SOL), modifications of the REM sleep and Slow Wave Sleep (SWS), and increased sleepiness and self-perceived fatigue. Moreover, post-sleep sustained attention and verbal memory also appear to be impaired. It can be concluded that playing VGs for long periods, particularly in the evening, is a significant, common and probable cause of sleep problems: evening exposure to VGs, in fact, can bring to insufficient and low quality sleep, with possible effects on cognition in the subsequent waking days. Potential methodological flaws and limitations of these studies have also been described and discussed. Because of the very limited number of available study on this topic further research is strongly needed

What matters is when you play: Investigating the relationship between online video games addiction and time spent playing over specific day phases

Online video gaming is now widely considered an activity possibly related to addictive behaviors, so that the diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is now included both in DSM-5 and ICD-11; however, there is still debate about some specific features of such disorder. One debated aspect is time spent playing: IGD gamers certainly play a high amount of time, but, on the other hand, also highly-engaged individuals or people working with video games (e.g.: eSports professional players) may play a lot without developing IGD. The literature agrees on the importance of deepening the role of time spent playing video games in IGD, to understand if it can be considered a symptom useful for the diagnosis, or not: one possibility is that time spent playing is not important in an absolute sense, but relatively to specific day phases. The present research involved 133 participants to test the relationship between average time spent playing over day phases (morning, afternoon, night; week, weekend days), age, game preferences and IGD. IGD score positively predicted time spent playing during weekend mornings, which are a day phase usually dedicated to other activities. Instead, time spent playing during afternoon was negatively predicted by age, according to this day phase being more related to youngsters' spare time, while night playing was related to preference for game genres which need dedicated time to organize multi-playing. Discussion deals with the utility of these preliminary results for future, more systematic research on IGD and its distinctive symptoms. Keywords: Internet gaming disorder, Video game addiction, Problematic gaming, Time spent playing, MMORPGs, MOB

What matters is when you play: Investigating the relationship between online video games addiction and time spent playing over specific day phases

Online video gaming is now widely considered an activity possibly related to addictive behaviors, so that the diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is now included both in DSM-5 and ICD-11; however, there is still debate about some specific features of such disorder. One debated aspect is time spent playing: IGD gamers certainly play a high amount of time, but, on the other hand, also highly-engaged individuals or people working with video games (e.g.: eSports professional players) may play a lot without developing IGD. The literature agrees on the importance of deepening the role of time spent playing video games in IGD, to understand if it can be considered a symptom useful for the diagnosis, or not: one possibility is that time spent playing is not important in an absolute sense, but relatively to specific day phases. The present research involved 133 participants to test the relationship between average time spent playing over day phases (morning, afternoon, night; week, weekend days), age, game preferences and IGD. IGD score positively predicted time spent playing during weekend mornings, which are a day phase usually dedicated to other activities. Instead, time spent playing during afternoon was negatively predicted by age, according to this day phase being more related to youngsters' spare time, while night playing was related to preference for game genres which need dedicated time to organize multi-playing. Discussion deals with the utility of these preliminary results for future, more systematic research on IGD and its distinctive symptoms