Social anxiety and Internet gaming disorder: The role of motives and metacognitions

Abstract

Background and aimsIn recent years, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been recognized as a mental health problem. Although research has found that social anxiety, motives, the preference for online social interactions (POSI), and metacognitions about online gaming are independent predictors of IGD, less is known about their relative contribution to IGD. The aim of the current study was to model the relationship between social anxiety, motives, POSI, metacognitions about online gaming, and IGD.MethodsFive hundred and forty three Italian gamers who play more than 7 h a week (mean age = 23.9 years; SD = 6.15 years; 82.5% males) were included in the study. The pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model was examined through path analysis.ResultsResults showed that social anxiety was directly associated with four motives (escape, coping, fantasy, and recreation), POSI, and positive and negative metacognitions about online gaming, and IGD. The Sobel test showed that negative metacognitions about online gaming played the strongest mediating role in the relationship between social anxiety and IGD followed by escape, POSI, and positive metacognitions. The model accounted for 54% of the variance for IGD.Discussion and conclusionsOverall, our findings show that, along with motives and POSI, metacognitions about online gaming may play an important role in the association between social anxiety and IGD. The clinical and preventive implications of these findings are discussed.

Personality Correlates of Gaming and Pornography Use

“…The goal of the present study was to examine personality correlates of gaming and pornography use to discern similarities and differences in these two problematic internet use behaviors. In partial support of hypothesis one and consistent with previous research, we found anxiety (e.g., Marino et al, 2020) and impulsivity (Hu et al, 2017;Kuss & Griffiths, 2012) to have a significant positive correlation with gaming use. It may be that as individuals become more anxious and impulsive, their gaming behaviors become more prevalent.…”

“…use behaviors (Lee & Stapinski, 2012). Specifically, several studies found that anxiety is positively associated with IGD (Adams et al, 2019;Bargeron & Hormes, 2017;Bonnaire & Baptista, 2019;Marino et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2017) as well as PPU (Niazof et al, 2019;Shirk et al, 2021). Trait anxiety is defined as a relatively stable state of proneness to experiencing anxiety (Julian, 2011).…”

The Mediating Role of Impulsivity and the Moderating Role of Gender Between Fear of Missing Out and Gaming Disorder Among a Sample of Chinese University Students

“…34 Social anxiety has also been found to impact on IGD through motives and metacognitions of online social interactions. 39 Moreover, FoMO may also stimulate impulsive consumption in marketing and communication activities because of fearing of missing out on something. 40 Kim et al 41 also reported that FoMO was an extrinsic motivation (e.g., ''It's a big game not to miss out'') that may promote popular sport event consumption (e.g., Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and the Super Bowl).…”

Biochemical Correlates of Video Game Use: From Physiology to Pathology. A Narrative Review

“…Several psychiatric conditions, such as impulsiveness, depression, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been more frequently associated with the presence of IGD [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Other authors showed strong association of IGD with Hikikomori Syndrome, a severe form of social withdrawal, suggesting bidirectional interactions between these two conditions [ 11 ].…”

“…However, previous studies in this field did not clarify if IGD should be considered, with respect to the other disorders in comorbidity, as a predisposing factor, as a consequence, or simply as a co-occurring condition. In this latter case, it is possible that IGD would share some vulnerability factors with other kinds of mental disorders [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”