Comments: Study was about half 3rd and 4th graders, and half female, yet 9% were considered addicted to video games. What might the percentage be if the sample were all 7th and 8th grade males? Also found that children can have this addiction without existing commorbidities
Pediatrics. 2011 Feb;127(2):e319-29. Epub 2011 Jan 17.
Gentile DA, Choo H, Liau A, Sim T, Li D, Fung D, Khoo A.
Source
Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3180, USA. [email protected]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
We aimed to measure the prevalence and length of the problem of pathological video gaming or Internet use, to identify risk and protective factors, to determine whether pathological gaming is a primary or secondary problem, and to identify outcomes for individuals who become or stop being pathological gamers.
METHODS:
A 2-year, longitudinal, panel study was performed with a general elementary and secondary school population in Singapore, including 3034 children in grades 3 (N = 743), 4 (N = 711), 7 (N = 916), and 8 (N = 664). Several hypothesized risk and protective factors for developing or overcoming pathological gaming were measured, including weekly amount of game play, impulsivity, social competence, depression, social phobia, anxiety, and school performance.
RESULTS:
The prevalence of pathological gaming was similar to that in other countries (∼9%). Greater amounts of gaming, lower social competence, and greater impulsivity seemed to act as risk factors for becoming pathological gamers, whereas depression, anxiety, social phobias, and lower school performance seemed to act as outcomes of pathological gaming.
CONCLUSION:
This study adds important information to the discussion about whether video game “addiction” is similar to other addictive behaviors, demonstrating that it can last for years and is not solely a symptom of comorbid disorders.
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