Abstract
There is considerable dispute regarding the nature of excessive or problematic Internet-related behaviour and whether it constitutes a clinical addiction. Classification of excessive gaming is hindered by a lack of experimental research investigating behavioural responses from gamers and comparing these patterns to those found in established addictions. We investigated whether an attentional bias for gaming-related words existed for addicted Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Gamers (MMORPGers) identified using the Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire. Forty frequent MMORPGers (15 female) and 19 non-MMORPGers (eight female) completed a computerised modified Stroop task comprised of game-related, negative and neutral word lists, Addiction-Engagement Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21, gaming-related variables. The results indicated that addicted MMORPGers had significantly longer reaction times to negative and MMORPG words compared to neutral words, whereas highly engaged and non-MMORPG participants showed no such bias. The presence of an attentional bias in addicted MMORPGers is comparable with research investigating this behavioural response in established addictions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1942-1947 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Computers in Human Behavior |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2011 |