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

Big five personality traits, gaming motives, and regular and disordered gaming: A cross-national examination among college student gamers in seven countries

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has shown that personality traits and gaming motives are important predictors for explaining regular and disordered gaming. However, the mediating role of gaming motives in the relation between personality traits and video game outcomes (e.g., time spent gaming or disordered gaming) has been scarcely studied and limited cross-national studies have addressed this issue. The present study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of the Big Five personality traits on weekly gaming and disordered gaming via gaming motives across seven countries.

METHOD

3540 college student gamers (59.5% women) from the U.S., Canada, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa and England completed the online survey. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test models. Multigroup models were employed to test model invariance across countries.

RESULTS

Significant, albeit weak, relations were found between personality traits and gaming outcomes, and were mediated mostly by coping motives in predicting disordered gaming, and by social interaction and recreation (to a lesser extent) motives in predicting weekly gaming. Some minor, yet significant, differences across countries appeared and are discussed in detail.

DISCUSSION

The present findings indicate that the differential interrelations between personality traits, gaming motives, and video gaming outcomes may be generalized in college students across countries.

Social norms and problematic gaming among adolescents: The role of Internet use coping motives

INTRODUCTION

Problematic gaming (PG) is a public health issue among adolescents worldwide. Although several studies have documented that peer influences constitute a relevant risk factor for adolescent problematic behaviors, little research is currently available on PG. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of social norms and perceived friends' gaming frequency on participants' own gaming frequency and PG, by testing potential differences among groups with low vs. high motive to use the Internet (e.g., online gaming) as a coping strategy.

METHOD

A survey was administered to 470 adolescent gamers (mean age = 15.49 years; SD = 1.05 years; 77.9 % males). A theoretical model was tested through path analysis and multi-group comparisons were performed.

RESULTS

Path analysis revealed that social norms and perceived friends' gaming frequency were positively associated to participants' gaming behaviors and PG. Additionally, different patterns between groups emerged.

CONCLUSION

Our findings confirmed the relative importance of peer influences on adolescents' gaming behaviors and PG and showed that adolescents who rely more on online gaming to cope with negative affect may be more vulnerable to social influence processes than other peers. These findings may provide useful indications for prevention programs targeting adolescent PG.

The Big Five Personality Domains and Their Facets: Empirical Relations to Problematic Use of Video Games, Social Media and Alcohol

Relatively common behavioral patterns in adolescence are problematic use of video games (PG), social media (PSMU) or alcohol (PAU). According to theoretical models, personality traits are relevant for Internet-related problematic behaviors. In the present study, associations of the Big Five personality domains and their 15 facets with PG, PSMU and PAU were compared for the first time. Therefore, 492 adolescents (mean age: 16.83 years) were examined with the established Big Five Inventory-2 as well as other standardized questionnaires on PG, PSMU and PAU. For statistical evaluation, correlation analyses were used as bivariate procedures and multiple regression analyses as multivariable procedures. At the personality domain level, consistently in bivariate and multivariate analyses, statistically significant associations between higher Negative Emotionality (Neuroticism) and PG, PSMU and PAU as well as between lower Open-Mindedness and PG and PAU were observed. At the level of facets, higher Anxiety (facet of Negative Emotionality) was related to PG and PSMU as well as lower Aesthetic Sensitivity (facet of Open-Mindedness) and lower Productiveness (facet of Conscientiousness) to PG. Considering the overlap of 95% confidence intervals, very comparable patterns of associations between PG, PSMU and PAU and the Big Five and their facets were observed in adolescence (indicating similarities in etiology).

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.

Overviewing Gaming Motivation and Its Associated Psychological and Sociodemographic Variables: A PRISMA Systematic Review

Nowadays, video games are part of our everyday life, and the number of players is increasing each day passing by. Thus, understanding what motivations drive people to play video games is becoming a very important topic for researchers. That is why this systematic review had the objective to summarize the existing literature about gaming motivation by including papers that used a validated tool to do so while excluding those that did address just the psychopathological aspect of gaming. The systematic review was carried out through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRSIMA). A total of 53 papers were included in this systematic review, and the findings revealed that nonaddicted players and addicted players seem both to play for social, achievement, and competition motivations. Male players appeared more oriented to play to compete with others, while female players seemed to use games for relationship and social reasons. Gaming motivation was stronger in younger people.

Individual and Interpersonal Factors Associated with the Incidence, Persistence, and Remission of Internet Gaming Disorders Symptoms in an Adolescents Sample

Video game playing behavior has serious consequences for adolescents on a personal, family, social, and academic level. This research aimed to examine risk and protective factors involving incidence, persistence, and remission of gaming disorders symptoms (IGDs) in Spanish adolescents after nine months of follow-up. Data were drawn from self-administered questionnaires completed on two occasions: at the beginning (T1) and end of the academic year (T2). A total of 950 adolescents aged from 11 to 20 years (M = 14, SD = 1.52, 48.5% female) completed the questionnaire at T1, while 550 adolescents aged from 11 to 18 years (M = 13.43, SD = 1.23, 48.9% female) took part in the follow-up study (T2). The incidence, persistence, and remission rates were 6%, 2.7%, and 4.2%, respectively. Significant relationships with IGDs were found between the male gender and studying at a private school in T1 and T2. The findings show that the time spent playing video games during T1 was positively associated with IGDs in T1 and T2. The incidence of IGDs was associated with emotional problems and low family affection. The persistence of IGDs was linked to higher motor impulsivity, agreeableness, and lower family resolve. Remission was related to a decrease in anxiety and hostility as well as an increase in the emotional stability of adolescents. These findings imply that emotional well-being and family adjustment could be relevant for the effective management of gaming behaviors.