Video games can provide entertainment, social connection and a sense of community. But for some players, gaming can become difficult to control and begin to interfere with everyday life.
A new study involving a 蹤獲扦 professor and a 蹤獲扦 alumnus suggests that problematic gaming may be more complex than previously understood. The research identifies two related but distinct dimensions of Internet Gaming Disorder, offering a more detailed way to understand how gaming-related struggles affect individuals.
The study, , was published Oct. 29 in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. It was co-authored by Enrico Gandolfi, associate professor of emerging media technology at 蹤獲扦, and Ilker Soyturk, who earned his master's and doctoral degrees at 蹤獲扦 and now works as a National Education Expert for the Republic of T羹rkiye's Ministry of National Education.
The researchers examined how well a widely used nine-question survey, the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, measures problematic gaming. Developed in 2015, the scale is designed to assess behaviors and experiences associated with Internet Gaming Disorder.
Video games are popular. They're the most important entertainment industry right now in terms of numbers, in terms of people, Gandolfi said. And the big question usually that we have is when does a passion or a hobby turn into an obsession, addiction, or a problem?
Using responses from 620 adult gamers in the United States, the researchers applied advanced statistical methods to examine whether the scale measured one underlying concept or two related dimensions.
For years, it has been treated as just one construct, one score. In essence, you have it or you don't have it, Gandolfi said. But this instrument was created years ago. And gaming has changed a lot in the last 10 years. It became more social, more online, more tied to communities on platforms like Reddit, Twitch and Discord.
Their findings supported a two-dimensional model.
Two Sides of Problematic Gaming
The researchers identified two dimensions: symptom-related Internet Gaming Disorder and impairment-related Internet Gaming Disorder.
Soyturk describes the distinction in straightforward terms.
Think of it as inside versus outside, he said.
Symptoms happen inside the person like constantly thinking about gaming, feeling irritable when you cut back, or playing mainly to escape stress. Others may not notice. Impairment shows up in your life when you start hiding how much you play, fighting with loved ones over it, or putting a job, school, or relationship at risk.
In other words, someone may experience signs of problematic gaming without those struggles necessarily causing major disruptions in their everyday life. Another person may experience consequences that are visible to family members, friends, coworkers or classmates.
The distinction matters.
These two things may not happen at the same time, Gandolfi said. Knowing that there is a difference may actually allow us to see, maybe it could be a window, where we can make a difference. We can plan interventions before it's too late.
The study found that symptoms were more common than impairment among the participants. That suggests some gamers may experience internal struggles without reporting significant disruption to their relationships, education or work.
Gamers may struggle a bit without their lives falling apart, Soyturk said. Thats the opportunity. Spotting symptoms early gives parents, educators, and counselors a chance to help before real damage is done.
The researchers emphasize that the study does not establish that symptoms always come before impairment. Because the research captures a snapshot of participants' experiences rather than following them over time, it cannot determine how one dimension may develop in relation to the other.
Still, recognizing the distinction could help researchers better understand problematic gaming and explore opportunities for earlier support.
Looking Beyond Time Spent Playing
The study also examined the relationship between gaming habits and the two dimensions.
Time spent gaming was positively associated with both symptom-related and impairment-related problems. However, the researchers caution that the number of hours someone plays is not enough, by itself, to determine whether gaming has become problematic.
The researchers also found a small association between time spent on gaming-related social media and symptom-related problems. That relationship was not statistically significant for impairment-related problems.
Soyturk cautions against interpreting that finding incorrectly.
The takeaway isnt that gaming communities are harmful, but that theyre a piece of the puzzle we need to understand better, he said.
Gaming communities can provide friendship, belonging, social skills and support. Gandolfi also cautions against viewing gaming itself as the cause of every problem or assuming that particular game genres or content are responsible. The study focused on players' experiences and behaviors, not the types of games they played.
It's not the content itself, it's not about if it's violent or not. It's about how you deal with video games, Gandolfi said. They don't have to be violent to be problematic, and vice versa. If they are violent, it doesn't mean they are problematic.
For some individuals, gaming may also serve as a way to cope with stress or anxiety. Understanding the circumstances surrounding a person's gaming habits is therefore important.
A Foundation for Future Research
Soyturk's contribution to the study drew on the measurement and statistical expertise he developed during his graduate studies at 蹤獲扦. He earned his master's degree in 2017 and doctorate in 2022, studying evaluation and measurement.
His work on the study included analyzing the data and applying advanced psychometric methods to determine whether the nine-question scale was better represented by one dimension or two.
These results give us considerable confidence that the two-factor model provides a better representation of the data in our sample, Soyturk said. This finding is initial evidence. We need future studies that replicate the results with different populations.
The study is an initial step, not a new diagnostic test or a clinical recommendation. The researchers say additional validation is needed before the findings can be applied more broadly in clinical settings.
Future research could include larger and more diverse groups of gamers, better gender representation and participants from different countries and cultures. Having conducted his graduate studies at 蹤獲扦 before returning to T羹rkiye, Soyturk sees opportunities to examine whether the findings hold true across different national and cultural populations, including gamers in T羹rkiye.
Researchers could also use a statistical approach called Differential Item Functioning to determine whether survey questions work differently for people from different demographic or cultural backgrounds.
Another important next step would be longitudinal research that follows the same gamers over time. Gandolfi describes the current study as a snapshot, while following participants over multiple points would be more like recording a video. That approach could help researchers better understand how symptoms and impairment relate to one another as a person's experiences change.
For now, the researchers see the work as a foundation for better measurement and a more complete understanding of problematic gaming. Treatment approaches for problematic gaming remain underdeveloped, Gandolfi noted, making a clearer understanding of the issue an important starting point.
The research also reflects a continuing connection between 蹤獲扦 faculty and graduates, with Gandolfi and Soyturk combining their expertise to examine a growing issue in digital culture.
