The vicious cycle of family dysfunction and problematic gaming and the mediating role of self-concept clarity among early adolescents: A within-person analysis using random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling

Prevalence and Prediction of Video Gaming Addiction Among Saudi Adolescents, Using the Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents (GASA)

Background

Understanding the prevalence and predictors of video game (VG) addiction is crucial in the Saudi context for improving the quality of life for adolescents and youths. We aim to determine the prevalence, types, and predictors of VG addiction disorders among Saudi adolescents using the validated Arabic-translated Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents (GASA).

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 787 adolescents was conducted via SurveyMonkey with the validated Arabic-translated GASA. The tool has seven domains, each containing three items, scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were collected on adolescent demographic characteristics (gender, age, education level, school performance, interaction, socialization, exercising, prayer, the parent's marital status, and education) and VG-related characteristics (age when child started playing VG, duration of playing VG per day, number of children in the family playing VG, parent's permission to play, parent's perception about the positive influence of VG). Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of VG addiction. Significance was considered at p < 0.05.

Results

Of the 787 adolescents, 8.3% were addicted gamers, 33.4% were problem gamers, and 2.2% were highly engaged. Being an addicted gamer was significantly associated with male gender (OR = 1.36, p = 0.038), higher fathers' education (OR = 1.62, p = 0.001), and favorable perception of parents to VG (OR = 1.51, p = 0.007). When the ROC curve was applied, a cut-off score of 85 was the optimum GASA score above which the adolescent was likely to be an addicted gamer, with 76.9% sensitivity, 84.2% specificity, and an area under the curve of 88.5%.

Conclusion

Our study could be a pilot study for similar studies in other Arab countries. Potential community-based educational programs, parental involvement strategies, or activities to promote alternative hobbies of adolescents are recommended. Additional studies are necessary on how cultural differences might influence gaming addiction and the applicability of Western-based tools like GASA to Saudi contexts.

The Reciprocal Relations between Parental Psychological Control and Social Anxiety and the Mediating Role of Self-Concept Clarity Among Chinese Early Adolescents

Although parental psychological control has been well-documented as a significant predictor of social anxiety among adolescents, few studies examine how changes in parental psychological control and adolescent social anxiety are reciprocally related at the within-person level, especially in Chinese culture. This longitudinal study examined reciprocal relations between parental psychological control and social anxiety, and the potential mediating role of self-concept clarity, by disentangling between- and within-person effects. A total of 4731 students (44.9% girls; Mage = 10.91 years, SD = 0.72) participated in a four-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals. Results from random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling indicated that parental psychological control directly predicted social anxiety, and vice versa. Parental psychological control indirectly predicted social anxiety via self-concept clarity, and social anxiety also indirectly predicted parental psychological control via self-concept clarity. These findings reveal a vicious cycle of mutual influence between parental psychological control and adolescent social anxiety in Chinese youth, and highlight the crucial role of self-concept clarity in the interplay between parenting and adolescent social functioning.

Longitudinal Relationships Between School Climate, Academic Achievement, and Gaming Disorder Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents

Despite growing concerns regarding the development of gaming disorder symptoms among adolescents, the longitudinal relationship between school factors and gaming disorder symptoms remains far from being fully understood. This two-year longitudinal study examined the relationship between school climate perceptions, academic achievement, and gaming disorder symptoms among three distinct demographic cohorts: preadolescents (n = 1513; 46.9% girls, Mage = 10.64 years, SD = 0.56), early adolescents (n = 1771; 48.3% girls, Mage = 13.54 years, SD = 0.70), and late adolescents (n = 2385; 50.1% girls, Mage = 16.41 years, SD = 0.59). A four-wave study was conducted (six months apart) using random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) to separate the within-person (state level) from the between-person (trait level) effects. The results obtained from the RI-CLPMs indicated that fluctuations in school climate perceptions negatively predicted subsequent changes in gaming disorder symptoms among preadolescents at the within-person level, but not among early and late adolescents. Fluctuations relating to gaming disorder symptoms also negatively predicted subsequent changes regarding academic achievement in late adolescents, but not in preadolescents and early adolescents. The effect of school-related factors on gaming disorder symptoms varies across different developmental stages. While preadolescents may represent a particularly susceptible subgroup for gaming disorder in terms of being predicted by their school environment, late adolescents appear to be more vulnerable to predictors of gaming disorder symptoms. The current study also discusses the implications of school-wide programs aimed at improving school climate and preventing the development of gaming disorder symptoms during key developmental periods.