Video game addiction

All counselors need to be prepared to appropriately address client setbacks in with engagement in view. The following is a guide for counselors when addressing setbacks with challenging clients, with a view toward maintaining rapport and positive engagement in treatment

Objective. We studied the prevalences of video game use (VGU) and addiction (VGA) in gambling disorder (GD) patients and compared them with subjects with non-video game use (non-VGU) in relation to their gambling behavior, psychopathology, and personality characteristics.Method. A sample of 193 GD patients (121 non-VGU, 43 VGU, and 29 VGA) consecutively admitted to our pathological gambling unit participated in the study.Assessment. Measures included the video game dependency test (VDT), symptom checklist-90-revised, and the temperament and character inventory-revised, as well as a number of other GD indices.Results. In GD, the observed prevalence of VG (use or addiction) was 37.3% (95% CI:30.7%÷44.3),VGU 22.3% (95% CI:17.0%÷28.7), and VGA 15% (95% CI:10.7%÷20.7). Orthogonal polynomial contrast into logistic regression showed positive linear trends for VG level and GD severity and other measures of general psychopathology. After structural equation modeling, higher VG total scores w...

Negli ultimi cinquant’anni il videogame ha ridefinito il concetto di intrattenimento nella nostra società e il suo mercato è diventato uno dei più creativi e importanti del mondo, ma per molti aspetti è un mondo ancora sommerso.
Questo libro cerca di rispondere alle domande essenziali su cosa definisce un videogame, perché giochiamo e chi sono i videogiocatori, per condurre l’esplorazione verso fronti ulteriori.
Attraverso molteplici prospettive e approcci teorici, gli autori offrono una guida al videogame come nuovo medium della cultura pop contemporanea, mentre il racconto delle evoluzioni tecnologiche e del mercato mostra al lettore, neofita o videogiocatore, il dietro le quinte di un’industria innovativa.

It is clear that in these days video games are big part of children. Violent video games are the most popular ones.  Authorities have two different attitude about violent video games: it has affect on children’s behavior or not. People who play video games, they want to know can violent video games affect children’s behavior badly or is it have bad affects on their body, mentally and physically.

Please see: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/cultural-code

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Video games are becoming an ever more ubiquitous element of daily life, played by millions on devices that range from smart phones to desktop computers. An examination of this phenomenon reveals that video games are increasingly being converted into cultural currency for a variety of purposes across the globe. For video game designers, culture is a resource that can be incorporated into games; for players, local gaming practices and specific social contexts can affect their playing experiences. In Cultural Code, Phillip Penix-Tadsen shows how culture uses games and how games use culture, looking at examples related to Latin America. Both static code and subjective play have been shown to contribute to the meaning of games; Penix-Tadsen introduces culture as a third level of creating meaning.

Penix-Tadsen focuses first on how culture uses games, looking at the diverse practices of play in Latin America, the ideological and intellectual uses of games, and the creative and economic possibilities opened up by video games in Latin America—the evolution of regional game design and development. Examining how games use culture, Penix-Tadsen discusses in-game cultural representations of Latin America in a range of popular titles (pointing out, for example, appearances of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue in games from Call of Duty to the tourism-promoting Brasil Quest). He analyzes this through semiotics, the signifying systems of video games and the specific signifiers of Latin American culture; space, how culture is incorporated into different types of game environments; and simulation, the ways that cultural meaning is conveyed procedurally and algorithmically through gameplay mechanics.

CONTENTS

Introduction: Toward a Cultural Ludology

Part I: How Culture Uses Games
1 Play
2 Persuasion
3 Potential

Part II: How Games Use Culture
4 Semiotics
5 Space
6 Simulation

Afterword: Decoding Culture

Notes
Index

This book is about the three identities of the videogame, the gamer, and Game Studies. I write that there are no definitive truths but rather discourses and constructions; ideas, actions, beliefs, and practices related to videogames are discourses that merge and shape our perception of videogames as an area of study of its own right. These discursive responses meet and clash creating what we call truths, which are temporary and negotiable.

This perspective is inspired by Foucauldian ideas and present few questions about videogame-related identities in and outside of academe. Does Game Studies have a conceptual core? What makes game studies difficult to be disciplined in academe? What do we learn from the scholarly and popular discourses on videogames that would help understand the identity questions related to games?

I go on to describe what makes the videogame identity according to game studies: aesthetics, fictions, meaning-making, performance, transformation, etc. and what makes it difficult for game studies being an open market of ideas and an academic "un-discipline". This leads me to the gamer's identity: an aficionado first, and a connoisseur of fictional worlds.

Increase in internet use and video-gaming contributes to public concern on pathological or obsessive play of video games among children and adolescents worldwide. Nevertheless, little is known about the prevalence of pathological symptoms in video-gaming among Singaporean youth and the psychometric properties of instruments measuring pathological symptoms in video-gaming. A total of 2998 children and adolescents from 6 primary and 6 secondary schools in Singapore responded to a comprehensive survey questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, video-gaming habits, school performance, somatic symptoms, various psychological traits, social functioning and pathological symptoms of video-gaming. After weighting, the survey data were analysed to determine the prevalence of pathological video-gaming among Singaporean youth and gender differences in the prevalence. The construct validity of instrument used to measure pathological symptoms of video-gaming was tested. Of all the study p...

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.

In this essay, the overt ideological message and the internal system for structuring gameplay in Fallout 3 (2008) have been analyzed from a socio-anthropological perspective developed by sociologist Anthony Giddens. The analysis concludes that the enjoyability of digital RPGs derives in part from the way their gameplay provides escapism from modern society’s socially alienating qualities, and indulgence in its socioeconomic motivational basis. This offers a new approach to both the study of game addiction and the broader question of why we play games. Furthermore, these conclusions contradict the socio-ideological predisposition expressed in Fallout 3’s storyline, giving support to the critical claims of several Marxist and cultural study theorists who view games and the video game industry as having a negative effect on both the critical capacity of the individual and that of society as a whole.

My doctoral thesis on video games and Fine Arts. You can read the rest of my doctoral thesis through here: http://digibug.ugr.es/handle/10481/49414#.Wp_aFHyCFle

It is in Spanish though, accessible where the .pdf file is hosted (down in that webpage, where it says "Visualizar/abrir".

This is a very early draft, so please bear with me.  Public concerns of excessive video game playing has led to debate over whether this activity can be considered an addiction.  This paper explores the role of human behavior in video game play.  Why do some people play more than others?  Antecedents and reinforcers of video game play are explored.  The paper uses this knowledge to provide practical ways to decrease screen time.

Boredom is quite often cited as one of the more challenging aspects when dealing with recovery from substance use issues. It is safe to say that no one likes boredom, and we all have to face boredom at one time or another. Therefore, it makes sense to be prepared for boredom when making life changes as we move away from a life of addictive behaviors. One way to do this is to adjust our viewpoint on boredom. We can learn and practice mastering boredom instead of allowing feelings of boredom to derail our progress.

In this article I propose an approach to a new model of audiovisual representation call virtual playful (MRVL). For this, I rely in part on modeling that focuses on Hollywood cinema, proposed by Jesús González Requena. But, because the object of study I propose is more comprehensive, as it covers various audiovisual media beyond the cinema as deduced from the corpus of work chosen-the Youtube platform, the videogame Stalker and the music video Dancing Anymore - I refer also to other theories and modeling that come from the called game studies. The problem with these studies is that, in general, do
not focus on the substance of the narrative experiences (of which the MRVL assumed its contemporary approach): the emotion and experience of the desire on the part of the
viewer (or better would be called user) through a symbolic horizon full of significance. From this base, I reflect on the type of user who draws this MRVL, for which I have taken the concept of Virtual Self proposed by Ben Agger. For this it would be a person connected to the world through the technological interface; but I redefine it as a user experience that would live within this MRVL that would prevail in a strong narcissism and that, therefore, conclude in an experience empty of sense.

Background: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) was introduced in the DSM-5 as a way of identifying and diagnosing problematic video game play. However, the use of the diagnosis is constrained, as it shares criteria with other addictive orders (e.g., pathological gambling). Aims: Further work is required to better understand IGD. One potential avenue of investigation is IGD's relationship to the primary reinforcing behavioral functions. This study explores the relationship between duration of video game play and the reinforcing behavioral functions that may motivate or maintain video gaming. Methods: A total of 499 video game players began the online survey, with complete data from 453 participants (85% white and 28% female), were analyzed. Individuals were placed into five groups based on self-reported hours of video gaming per week, and completed the Video Game Functional Assessment – Revised (VGFA-R). Results: The results demonstrated the escape and social attention function were significant in predicting duration of video game play, whereas sensory and tangible were not significant. Conclusion: Future implications of the VGFA-R and behaviorally based research are discussed.

Video Games and Young Children’s Evolving Sense of Identity: A Qualitative Study

Post print: Authors’ accepted MS for publication on 28/03/2016 in Young Consumers
Please cite as Dina Hassan Bassiouni , Chris Hackley , (2016) "Video games and young children’s evolving sense of identity: a qualitative study", Young Consumers, Vol. 17 Iss: 2: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/YC-08-2015-00551 (early cite)

Dina Hassan Bassiouni, American University of Cairo
Chris Hackley, Royal Holloway University of London

Abstract
Keywords: children, identity, video games, subjective experience, socialisation, family, power negotiation.
Topic: Identities in Consumer Culture.
Purpose
This paper investigates children’s experience as consumers of video games and associated digital communication technology, and the role this experience may play in their evolving senses of identity.
Research design
Qualitative depth interviews and discussion groups with a convenience sample of 22 children of both genders aged 6-12, parents and video games company executives in the South West of the UK. The fully transcribed data sets amounting to some 27,000 words were analysed using discourse analysis.
Findings
The findings revealed the heightened importance knowledge of video games plays in children’s strategies for negotiating their nascent sense of identity with regard to peer groups, family relationships, and gender identity. Video games were not only a leisure activity but also a shared cultural resource that mediated personal and family relationships.
Research Limitations
The study is based on an interpretive analysis of data sets from a small convenience sample, and therefore is not statistically generalisable. 
Practical implications
This study has suggested that there may be positive benefits to children's video game playing related to aspects of socialisation, emotional development and economic decision-making. An important caveat is that these benefits arise in the context of games as a part of a loving and ordered family life with a balance of activities.
Social implications
The study hints at the extent to which access to video games and associated digital communications technology has changed children’s experience of childhood and integrated them into the adult world in positive as well as negative ways that were not available to previous generations.   
Originality/Value
This research addresses a gap in the field and adds to our understanding of the impact of video games on children’s development by drawing on children’s own expression of their subjective experience of games to engage with wider issues of relationships and self-identity.

This article describes the modern video games market, and chosen ways of promotion that are common in this industry. While some of described methods present only a new approach to traditional promotion techniques, some of them are solely based on innovation and new technology. These methods cover both promoting games and also using games and gaming platforms as a new channel of promotion for other goods

The convergence of digital technologies, sport, and gambling industry has multiplied the possible combinations of products that, having originated in one field, have evolved into something different. This article briefly examines eSports and gambling, as well as a brief examination of the convergence between professional gambling and professional video game playing.

This research investigated the associations between personality traits and both normal and problematic massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPGs) play, as measured by a self report scale. A total of 225 participants completed the online questionnaire, 66 of whom played MMORPGs. Correlational analyses indicated that low levels of functional impulsivity and agreeableness alongside high levels of verbal aggression and video game dependency were associated with greater amount of time spent playing MMORPGs. When comparing problematic and non-problematic MMORPG players directly, problematic players were found to be lower in self regulation, dysfunctional impulsivity and agreeableness, suggesting that these traits may be important in the development and maintenance of problematic MMORPG use.► Problematic massively multiplayer online role playing game users’ personality. ► MMORPG play correlated with low functional impulsivity and high verbal aggression. ► Problematic, non-problematic players and non-players were compared. ► Problematic players were lower in self regulation. ► Problematic players were also lower in dysfunctional impulsivity and agreeableness.

There are many factors that correlated with students' academic performance. Some people believe that
video game is one of the factors that affect students’ academic performance negatively. Thus, the purpose of this
study was to investigate the relationship between video games and student academic performance among male and
female students of IIUM. A questionnaire was used to collect data about students' gaming frequency and students'
academic performance. 30 students were selected randomly from each kulliyyah as the sample of the study. The
result of the research indicated that there is no relationship between video games and students’ academic
performance of IIUM University. From this findings, it can be concluded that being non-gamer does not guarantee
a student to have high academic performance. In contrast, being frequent gamer also does not guarantee student
to perform bad in academic. There are many factors that correlated with academic performance other than video
games

Video games are increasingly becoming an important media today, despite the light connota-tion of its initial categorization. Today they are an industry that produces billions of dollars and employs engineers and artists alike in an art form spanning interactive games, to virtual socie-ties where millions of people dwell. However, like all human products, our same fears, flaws and xenophobia show in the games, with the reflection of hatred, racism and stereotypes that are our everyday experience. Also, because of the influence of other media, like television, with misrepresentations of blacks, Latinos and other races, or the objectification of women are pre-sent in video games. The significant thing found researching for this assignment is that most of those who use these games are themselves part of minorities or races that are not exactly white Americans. Abuse of the frustrations and desires of the user, handling codes and the system an-swers of gamers to maintain the player engagement, has more resemblance to the use of illegal drugs than with art, but however, the complexity of the design, stories and global assessment, have led to other considerations by experts. Competing in the games could be considered as having more of escapism that the reality of engaging, but all human beings are expected in their tribes to compete and demonstrate their value as a member while complying with social norms or expectations. Same as satisfying or surrender to corporate or group interests. Here are some thoughts for the purpose of this study.

Social media is no doubt an innovation that has so much influenced the world. Its impact on businesses, information dissemination, products marketing, entertainment, leisure, inclusive democracy and e-governance is commendable. The development of social media apps for mobile phones and tablets which allows photos and videos to be uploaded easily to social media accounts as well as instant notifications alerts have left so many people with no option than to check their social media account intermittently. In addition, the social media design which allows for continuous scrolling of pages have lure many users into social media addiction.

Uncontrolled use of social media has impacted negatively on people’s lives and families. It is believed that setting one’s priority right, spending more time with friends and families and responding to people are some of the panacea for social media addictions. This paper reviews articles, personal opinions and collates relevant data on the usage of social media; the impact of social media in the world; criteria for measuring social media addiction; recommendations on the proper usage of social media ; the effects of excessive use and how to recover from social media addiction.

Recently, the skill involved in playing and mastering video games has led to the professionalization of the activity in the form of 'esports' (electronic sports). The aim of the present paper was to review the main topics of psychological interest about esports and then to examine the similarities of esports to professional and problem gambling. As a result of a systematic literature search, eight studies were identified that had investigated three topics: (1) the process of becoming an esport player, (2) the characteristics of esport players such as mental skills and motivations, and (3) the motivations of esport spectators. These findings draw attention to the new research field of professional video game playing and provides some preliminary insight into the psychology of esports players. The paper also examines the similarities between esport players and professional gamblers (and more specifically poker players). It is suggested that future research should focus on esport play-ers' psychological vulnerability because some studies have begun to investigate the difference between problematic and professional gambling and this might provide insights into whether the playing of esports could also be potentially problematic for some players.

Research examining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has grown markedly in recent years. However, research on its psychological treatment is still scarce, especially with respect to efficacy of specific programs. The PIPATIC (Programa Individualizado Psicoterapéutico para la Adicción a las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación) program is a 22-session specialized treatment for adolescents with IGD. The present paper briefly outlines the cases of four treatment-seeking male adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years with different clinical IGD profiles undergoing the treatment. A case study using an A-B-A' withdrawal design was conducted. After completing the PIPATIC program, all participants showed clinical improvement in the amount of time spent using video games and in the symptoms of IGD.

Media technology—from mass media to social media and from video gaming to computer-mediated communication—plays an increasingly central role in people’s lives. Due to exponential increases in computing power, people now carry incredibly powerful computers—their smartphones—everywhere they go. This ever-greater access to media technology is generating an ever-greater conflict between media activities and the unmediated activities critical for psychological well-being—from our face-to-face conversations and family time to our down time and work lives. What are the costs and benefits of people’s modern media technology use for psychological well-being? Using a complementarity-interference (CI) framework, I review research to illuminate key psychological processes (i.e., mediators) and conditions (i.e., moderators) of the relationship between media technology and psychological well-being. Based on the existing evidence, I propose an initial theoretical CI model of the effects of media technology on psychological well-being. I use this CI model to outline important directions for future research, providing guidelines for an integrated, theoretically informed research on media technology.

Esports is growing at an exponential rate. While there are benefits to playing esports, little is known about the long-term health implications. This article reviews the current state of esports health-related research, focusing on physical health (i.e., physical activity, musculoskeletal injuries, eye health), sleep, nutrition, performance-enhancing drugs, and mental health (i.e., gaming disorder, emotional regulation). It identifies areas of interest with a call to action for all stakeholders within the esports ecosystem, providing a short list of recommendations to consider based on the current literature. Future research should utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods, with a particular emphasis on longitudinal and large-scale studies using validated tools to fully explore the association between esports and health.

Highlights:
• Much of the current esports health-related research focuses on players’ physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns.
• Other major, but under researched, esports health concerns surround player injuries,
sleep, nutrition, and performance-enhancing drug use.
• Many of the health concerns such as performance enhancing drugs require input from game publishers and tournament organizers for regulation to take place
• The health issues present in esports suggest significant value in regular health checks for competition level players.

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in children and adolescents accessing psychology services regarding problematic use of online videogames. Consequently, providing effective treatment is essential. The present paper describes the design process of a manualized PIPATIC (Programa Individualizado Psicoterapéutico para la Adicción a las Tecnologías de la información y la comunicación) intervention program for 12-to 18-year-old adolescents with Internet Gaming Disorder. The design and application of the PIPATIC program integrates several areas of intervention structured into six modules: psychoeducational, treatment as usual, intra-personal, interpersonal, family intervention, and development of a new lifestyle. The program's goals are to reduce the addiction symptoms related to online videogames and to improve the well-being of adolescents. Preliminary findings suggest positive and encouraging effects.

Video gaming has now become very popular among children and adolescents. Because of the increasing use of videogames, the debate concerning the effects of video games has been ongoing, particularly in terms of gamers' social lives. This study explores the impact of heavy gaming students on their peers and teachers in the school environment. For this purpose, focus-group and face-to-face interviews have been carried out using semi-structured interview forms developed by the research team. The data have been collected from 21 participants comprised of three heavy gaming students, 16 peers, and two teachers. The findings indicate heavy gamers to display problematic behaviors including communication and behavioral problems within the school environment. Results also show heavy gaming students to prefer staying at home and playing videogames rather than attending school activities. Heavy gamers mostly prefer spending time with other heavy gamers or with male peers because they have mutual topics they can talk about (video games, their game talents, soccer, outdoor games etc.), which they are unable to with girls. According to the teachers, heavy gamers have low-school performance. However, the English teacher emphasized the positive effects of video gaming on students' English vocabulary.

In this essay I will analyse two studies of Internet and online gaming addiction and use them to discuss the differences between qualitative and quantitative social science re- search. For this purpose, I have picked two papers published from the CyberPsychology & Behavior journal, a peer-reviewed journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace. The two studies are distinctly different in methodology although similar in scope. By comparing these studies, I will discuss the merits and demerits of the two methods; how suitable, consistent or effective they were in the research questions asked, and their normative im- plications in the larger scale of things.

While the brunt of video game research has focused on negative behavioral outcomes of video game play, recent anecdotal and empirical evidence has led scholars to pursue explanations of another behavioral outcome of game play: addiction. This paper establishes game addiction as a media process addiction with 4 unique factors: social ramifications of play, excessive play, uncontrollable play, and displacement. Addiction is found to be correlated with individual’s perceptions of online games, as well as personality traits identified using the NEO-FFI scale. Implications for these results are discussed, as well as applications and recommendations for future research.

The global rise of addictions in the modern world is alarming. What the discipline of modern Western psychology fails to recognize is the connection between the loss of a sense of the sacred and the rise in addiction and mental illness. Due to the spiritual desolation prevalent in the present day and its traumatizing effects, the human search for wholeness and healing is all too often diverted into destructive and dysfunctional behaviors. It is only a spiritual approach to the science of the soul that allows psychology to restore the categories of Spirit, soul, and body, along with their corresponding degrees of reality. This paper examines the root causes of addiction in order to better understand the collective search for wholeness and healing. The framework employed for this study is the perennial psychology—an application of the universal wisdom found in humanity’s spiritual patrimony to the proper understanding of this burgeoning crisis. The objective of the study is to propose a more integrative approach to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of addiction.