Research into online gaming has steadily increased over the last decade, although relatively little research has examined the relationship between online gaming addiction and personality factors. ...This study examined the relationship between a number of personality traits (sensation seeking, self-control, aggression, neuroticism, state anxiety, and trait anxiety) and online gaming addiction. Data were collected over a 1-month period using an opportunity sample of 123 university students at an East Midlands university in the United Kingdom. Gamers completed all the online questionnaires. Results of a multiple linear regression indicated that five traits (neuroticism, sensation seeking, trait anxiety, state anxiety, and aggression) displayed significant associations with online gaming addiction. The study suggests that certain personality traits may be important in the acquisition, development, and maintenance of online gaming addiction, although further research is needed to replicate the findings of the present study.
•The IGDS-SF9 was developed and its psychometric properties were examined.•The IGDS-SF9 showed satisfactory psychometric properties.•The IGDS-SF9 is suitable for measuring IGD.•APA’s internet gaming ...disorder criteria can be operationalized via IGDS-S9.•The IGDS-SF9 was developed to promote a unified research approach in the IGD field.
Despite the large growth on gaming behaviour research, little has been done to overcome the problem stemming from the heterogeneity of gaming addiction nomenclature and the use of non-standardised measurement tools. Following the recent inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder IGD as a condition worthy of future studies in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5, researchers have now an opportunity to reach consensus and unification in the field. The aim of this study was to develop a new nine-item short-form scale to assess Internet Gaming Disorder (IGDS-SF9) and to further explore its psychometric properties. A sample of 1060 gamers (85.1% males, mean age 27years) recruited via online gaming forums participated. Exploratory factor analysis EFA, confirmatory factor analysis CFA, analyses of the criterion-related and concurrent validity, reliability, standard error of measurement SEM, population cross-validity, and floor and ceiling effects were performed to assess the instrument’s psychometric properties. The results from the EFA revealed a single-factor structure for IGD that was also confirmed by the CFA. The nine items of the IGDS-SF9 are valid, reliable, and proved to be highly suitable for measuring IGD. It is envisaged that the IGDS-SF9 will help facilitate unified research in the field.
The most important stream of game developers' revenue is arguably via gamer's in-game purchases. Previous literature has identified a number of strong determinants of online purchase intention ...including values, consumer experience, lifestyle, security, perceived risk, information, and subjective norms and behavioural control. The present study examined the relationship between online mobile gaming addiction and loyalty towards purchase intention of online mobile game in-game apps. The present study comprised 430 students from two major Indian universities who completed a short 28-item survey focusing on three variables (i.e., addiction, loyalty towards online games, and purchase intention towards online mobile in-game features). The results demonstrated that (i) online mobile game addiction shared a significant positive relationship with online mobile game loyalty; (ii) online mobile game addiction had a positive relationship with the purchase of online mobile in-game apps, and (iii) online mobile game loyalty increased game users' intention to purchase online mobile in-game apps. The present study is the first to investigate loyalty and gaming addiction in relation to the purchase of in-game apps. Game developers will always want to facilitate loyalty among its clientele. However, if the engagement strategies used by gaming operators facilitate addiction as a way of increasing purchase intention of online mobile game in-game apps, this raises serious ethical questions which the gaming industry need to address as part of its corporate social responsibility strategy.
•The relationship between gaming addiction and purchasing in-game apps was examined.•Gaming addiction shared a positive relationship with online mobile game loyalty.•Gaming addiction had a positive relationship with the purchase of in-game apps.•Gaming loyalty increased game users' intention to purchase in-game apps.
Among HCWs, there was also a significant association between workaholism and (i) poor psychological health and (ii) poor quality of life. ...Pougnet and colleagues13 reported the prevalence of ...workaholism among 162 French doctors in a university hospital to be 48%, concluding that the prevalence of work addiction was much higher among doctors than the general public. Sheta and colleagues15 examined work addiction among 262 Egyptian doctors, and 14.5% were classed as workaholics, and workaholism was associated with lower quality of life and poorer physical health. ...work addiction’, by definition, always leads to more negative consequences in the long-term including relationship problems, health problems and a neglect of everything else in the individual’s life apart from work.
Workaholism has become an increasingly popular area for empirical study. However, most studies examining the prevalence of workaholism have used non-representative samples and measures with poorly ...defined cut-off scores. To overcome these methodological limitations, a nationally representative survey among employees in Norway (N = 1,124) was conducted. Questions relating to gender, age, marital status, caretaker responsibility for children, percentage of full-time equivalent, and educational level were asked. Workaholism was assessed by the use of a psychometrically validated instrument (i.e., Bergen Work Addiction Scale). Personality was assessed using the Mini-International Personality Item Pool. Results showed that the prevalence of workaholism was 8.3% (95% CI = 6.7-9.9%). An adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that workaholism was negatively related to age and positively related to the personality dimensions agreeableness, neuroticism, and intellect/imagination. Implications for these findings are discussed.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Due to the serious situation of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide, many countries have implemented policies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 infection. However, some of these ...policies prevent people from physical contact. Consequently, many individuals may rely on social media to obtain information concerning COVID-19. Unfortunately, social media use (especially problematic social media use) may give rise to psychological distress. Therefore, this study thus examined potential psychopathology to explain the association between problematic social media use, psychological distress, and insomnia.
Utilizing an online survey, a sample of Iranian young adults (n = 1078 with 628 males; mean age = 26.24 years SD ± 7.41) completed questions and psychometric scales concerning psychological distress, insomnia, problematic social media use, fear of COVID-19, and COVID-19 misunderstanding.
Problematic social media use was significantly associated with psychological distress both directly and indirectly. The indirect effects were through fear of COVID-19 (unstandardized coefficient B = 0.177; Bootstrapping SE = 0.026) and COVID-19 misunderstanding (B = 0.060; Bootstrapping SE = 0.014). Problematic social media use was significantly associated with insomnia both directly and indirectly. The indirect effect was through fear of COVID-19 (B = 0.062; Bootstrapping SE = 0.019) but not COVID-19 misunderstanding (B = 0.012; Bootstrapping SE = 0.014).
Due to the pressure of the COVID-19 outbreak, individuals are highly likely to develop psychological distress and insomnia. Apart from developing appropriate health policies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 infection, healthcare providers should design appropriate online campaigns to eliminate people's fear of COVID-19 and to diminish misunderstanding concerning COVID-19.
•Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes fear.•Social media may distribute COVID-19 misinformation and misconceptions.•Problematic social media associated with distress during COVID-19 outbreak.•Healthcare providers should design online campaigns to fight misconceptions.
In contemporary society, social media use has become a widespread daily activity, especially among adolescents, who are often engaged in visual content sharing. Taking and posting selfies on social ...media is one of the most popular activities associated with teens' social media use, representing a useful tool to increase their self-presentation via others' approval. However, higher exposure to visual content on social media might lead to more social comparisons and appearance concerns reinforcement. Therefore, body image-based digital activities might allow dissatisfied individuals with their appearance to create and manage their best online self-presentation, leading to potentially problematic social media use. The present study evaluated the unexplored predictive role of selfie-expectancies and social appearance anxiety on problematic social media use (referred to by some scholars as ‘social media addiction’), as well as examining the possible gender differences between boys and girls. A total of 578 adolescents (mean age 16.1 years) participated in the study. Results showed that boys' anxiety concerning self-appearance and the expectancy that selfies could improve their self-confidence were both predictors of their problematic social media use. On the contrary, despite a higher level of social appearance anxiety among girls, it did not influence their social media use. The study demonstrated novel findings concerning new gender-related associations in relation to problematic social media use, social appearance anxiety, and teens' expectancies underlying selfie behavior.
•Selfie-expectancies differently predict social media misuse in both genders.•Appearance concerns predict only boys' problematic social media use.•Selfie behavior did not appear to be a mainly female phenomenon.•Teens' bodily appearance represent a pivotal issue in problematic social media use.
•Internet addiction appears as mental health concern for Dutch adolescents.•3.7% of the adolescents were classified as being addicted to the Internet.•Use of online gaming and social apps increased ...the risk for Internet addiction.•Conscientiousness and extraversion were preventive factors for gaming addiction.•The findings support the inclusion of ‘Internet addiction’ in the DSM-V.
As new media are becoming daily fare, Internet addiction appears as a potential problem in adolescents. From the reported negative consequences, it appears that Internet addiction can have a variety of detrimental outcomes for young people that may require professional intervention. Researchers have now identified a number of activities and personality traits associated with Internet addiction. This study aimed to synthesise previous findings by (i) assessing the prevalence of potential Internet addiction in a large sample of adolescents, and (ii) investigating the interactions between personality traits and the usage of particular Internet applications as risk factors for Internet addiction. A total of 3105 adolescents in the Netherlands filled out a self-report questionnaire including the Compulsive Internet Use Scale and the Quick Big Five Scale. Results indicate that 3.7% of the sample were classified as potentially being addicted to the Internet. The use of online gaming and social applications (online social networking sites and Twitter) increased the risk for Internet addiction, whereas extraversion and conscientiousness appeared as protective factors in high frequency online gamers. The findings support the inclusion of ‘Internet addiction’ in the DSM-V. Vulnerability and resilience appear as significant aspects that require consideration in further studies.
Studies have highlighted that fear and anxiety generated by COVID-19 are important psychological factors that affect all populations. There currently remains a lack of research on specific ...amplification factors regarding fear and anxiety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite established associations between anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and cyberchondria, empirical data investigating the associations between these three variables, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, are currently lacking. Urgent research is needed to better understand the role of repeated media consumption concerning COVID-19 in amplifying fear and anxiety related to COVID-19.
This study investigated the associations between fear of COVID-19, COVID-19 anxiety, and cyberchondria.
Convenience sampling was used to recruit respondents to participate in an online survey. The survey, which was distributed via social media and academic forums, comprised the Cyberchondria Severity Scale, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, and Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Multiple mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling.
A total of 694 respondents (males: n=343, females: n=351) completed the online survey. The results showed that fear and anxiety generated by COVID-19 predicted cyberchondria (fear: β=.39, SE 0.04, P<.001, t=11.16, 95% CI 0.31-0.45; anxiety: β=.25, SE 0.03, P<.001, t=7.67, 95% CI 0.19-0.32). In addition, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity mediated the relationship between fear and anxiety generated by COVID-19 with cyberchondria. In a reciprocal model, the standardized total effects of cyberchondria on fear of COVID-19 (β=.45, SE 0.04, P<.001, t=15.31, 95% CI 0.39-0.51) and COVID-19 anxiety (β=.36, SE 0.03, P<.001, t=11.29, 95% CI 0.30-0.41) were statistically significant, with moderate effect sizes. Compared to males, females obtained significantly higher scores for cyberchondria (t
=-2.85, P=.004, Cohen d=0.22), COVID-19 anxiety (t
=-3.32, P<.001, Cohen d=0.26), and anxiety sensitivity (t
=-3.69, P<.001, Cohen d=0.29).
The findings provide a better understanding of the role of COVID-19 in amplifying cyberchondria. Based on these results, cyberchondria must be viewed as a significant public health issue. Importantly, increasing awareness about cyberchondria and online behavior at both the individual and collective levels must be prioritized to enhance preparedness and to reduce the adverse effects of current and future medical crises.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Recent studies suggest that users’ preferences of social media use differ according to their individual differences and use motives, and that these factors can lead to problematic social media use ...(PSMU) among a minority of users. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the influences of (i) demographics and Big Five personality dimensions on social media use motives; (ii) demographics and use motives on social media site preferences; and (iii) demographics, personality, popular social media sites, and social media use motives on PSMU. The sample comprised 1008 undergraduate students, aged between 17 and 32 years (
M
= 20.49, SD = 1.73; 60.5% women). The participants completed a questionnaire comprising the Social Media Use Questionnaire, Social Media Usage Aims Scale, and Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Multiple linear and hierarchical regression analyses showed that social media use motives of (i) meeting new people and socializing, (ii) expressing or presenting a more popular self, and (iii) passing time and entertainment were associated with problematic social media use. Moreover, participants that preferred Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook reported higher scores of problematic social media use. Finally, being female, introverted, conscientious, agreeable, and neurotic were associated with PSMU. The findings offer empirical evidence for uses and gratifications theory because the findings demonstrated that (i) different personality traits predict different motives, (ii) different motives predict preference of different platforms, and (iii) different individual differences such as personality, preference of platform, and specific use motives predict PSMU.