Research: Pathological Video Game Use Among Youths: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study
Pathological Video Game Use Among Youths: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study
- Douglas A. Gentile, PhDa,
- Hyekyung Choo, PhDb,
- Albert Liau, PhDc,
- Timothy Sim, PhDd,
- Dongdong Li, MAc,
- Daniel Fung, MDe,
- Angeline Khoo, PhDc
+ Author Affiliations
- aDepartment of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa;
- bDepartment of Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore;
- cDepartment of Psychological Studies, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;
- dDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; and
- eDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
Abstract
Objectives: We aimed to measure the prevalence and length of the problem of pathological video gaming or Internet use, to identify risk and protective factors, to determine whether pathological gaming is a primary or secondary problem, and to identify outcomes for individuals who become or stop being pathological gamers.
Methods: A 2-year, longitudinal, panel study was performed with a general elementary and secondary school population in Singapore, including 3034 children in grades 3 (N = 743), 4 (N = 711), 7 (N = 916), and 8 (N = 664). Several hypothesized risk and protective factors for developing or overcoming pathological gaming were measured, including weekly amount of game play, impulsivity, social competence, depression, social phobia, anxiety, and school performance.
Results: The prevalence of pathological gaming was similar to that in other countries (∼9%). Greater amounts of gaming, lower social competence, and greater impulsivity seemed to act as risk factors for becoming pathological gamers, whereas depression, anxiety, social phobias, and lower school performance seemed to act as outcomes of pathological gaming.
Conclusion: This study adds important information to the discussion about whether video game “addiction” is similar to other addictive behaviors, demonstrating that it can last for years and is not solely a symptom of comorbid disorders.
Download the .pdf study from the Official Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics
