Predicting Adolescent Problematic Online Game Use from Teacher Autonomy Support, Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction, and School Engagement: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Problematic online game use (POGU) has become a serious global public health concern among adolescents. However, its influencing factors and mediating mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study provides the first longitudinal design to test stage-environment fit theory empirically in POGU. A total of 356 Chinese students reported on teacher autonomy support, basic psychological needs satisfaction, school engagement, and POGU in the autumn of their 7th-9th grade years. Path analyses supported the proposed pathway: 7th grade teacher autonomy support increased 8th grade basic psychological needs satisfaction, which in turn increased 9th grade school engagement, which ultimately decreased 9th grade POGU. Furthermore, 7th grade teacher autonomy support directly increased 9th grade school engagement, which in turn decreased 9th grade POGU. These findings suggest that teacher autonomy support is an important protective predictor of adolescent POGU, and basic psychological needs satisfaction and school engagement are the primary mediators in this association.

The moderating role of intrinsic value in the relation between psychological needs support and academic engagement in mathematics among Chinese adolescent students

“…In the current study, we examined the relations of basic psychological needs support to behavioural, emotional and cognitive aspects of academic engagement in mathematics, as well as the moderating role of intrinsic value in the relations in a sample of adolescent students. Consistent with hypothesis (a), this study found that basic psychological needs support had a direct and positive effect on academic engagement, which parallels with previous findings (Deci & Ryan, ; Yu, Li, & Zhang, ). Self‐determination theory has offered a powerful framework for understanding why learning context can facilitate engagement by the fulfilment of students' psychological need to feel autonomous, emotionally connected and competent (Niemiec & Ryan, ).…”

Internet use and Problematic Internet Use: a systematic review of longitudinal research trends in adolescence and emergent adulthood

“…Specifically, more academically orientated adolescents in Canada and Korea, who tended to experience higher school-performance related stress, presented lower PIU behaviours compared to their peers (Hong et al, 2014;Willoughby, 2008). In line with these, poor academic achievement was found to be predictive of PIU amongst Taiwanese adolescents (Chen et al, 2015), while Yu et al (2015) supported that higher school engagement functioned as a PIU protective factor. In consensus with the bi-directional relationship suggested between academic-disposition and PIU, a study of Singaporean adolescents found that Internet gaming PIU was a significant predictor of poorer academic performance (Gentile et al, 2011).…”

“…Reliability ( et al, 2011), occasionally described as Problem Gaming (Haagsma, King, Pieterse, & Peters, 2013;, Problem online Game Use (Yu, Li, & Zhang, 2015) and/or Pathological online Game Use (Choo, Sim, Liau, Gentile, & Khoo, 2015;Coyne et al, 2015;Gentile et al, 2011). These studies highlight the problematic engagement with Internet gaming, as a specific component of PIU, aligning with the perspective that the issue is not just excessive or disproportionate use, but a loss of control associated with Internet gaming in particular.…”

“…However, privacy and anonymity of IU (Greenfield, 2004) could restrict the option of using actuarial-monitoring measurements. As suggested, seeking additional informant reporting, particularly parental or teacher reflections for children and adolescents, may result in more accurate data (Yen et al, 2012;Yu et al, 2015).…”

Gaming motivation and problematic video gaming: The role of needs frustration

“…An important implication of Liu and Peng's () finding is that enthusiastic but otherwise healthy users likely feel valued and appreciated in other areas of their life beyond gaming (e.g., work, school, friendships), limiting the control gaming has on their life. As shown in another study using adolescents, it is likely this stems from a lack of daily needs frustration experienced within a key domain (Yu, Li, & Zhang, ).…”