The Cognitive Psychopathology of Internet Gaming Disorder in Adolescence

Feb 16, 2016Journal of abnormal child psychology

Thinking and Mental Health Problems in Teens with Internet Gaming Disorder

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Abstract

A sample of 824 adolescents revealed that those with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) report significantly more maladaptive gaming beliefs than their peers.

Adolescents with IGD endorse beliefs about game reward value and tangibility that differ from those without IGD.
They exhibit maladaptive and inflexible rules regarding their gaming behavior.
There is an over-reliance on gaming to meet self-esteem needs among adolescents with IGD.
Gaming is often viewed as a method for gaining social acceptance by those with IGD.
The strong link between problematic gaming thoughts and IGD symptoms persists even after accounting for gaming activity and psychological distress.

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Adolescents are known to be an at-risk population for developing Internet gaming disorder (IGD). A recent clinical model has proposed that adolescents with IGD may endorse a unique set of maladaptive beliefs that underlie persistent and excessive involvement in Internet gaming activities. These include (a) beliefs about game reward value and tangibility, (b) maladaptive and inflexible rules about gaming behaviour, (c) over-reliance on gaming to meet self-esteem needs, and (d) gaming as a method of gaining social acceptance. A sample of 824 adolescents (402 male and 422 female) were recruited from multiple secondary schools and administered a survey that included measures of IGD symptomatology, problematic Internet gaming cognition, and psychological distress. The results showed that adolescents with IGD report significantly more maladaptive gaming beliefs than adolescents without IGD, including those who play Internet games for more than 30 h per week. The size of observed effects were large. The strong association between gaming cognitions and IGD symptoms still held after controlling for measures of gaming activity and psychological distress. These findings indicate that adolescents with IGD have distinct problematic thoughts about gaming, and highlight the importance of addressing these cognitions in therapeutic interventions for the disorder.

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The Cognitive Psychopathology of Internet Gaming Disorder in Adolescence

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