The Association Between Internet Gaming Disorder and Impulsivity: A Systematic Review of Literature

Abstract

Research examining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has increased substantially over the past decade. One of the risk factors for IGD includes poor impulse control. The present study comprises the first ever systematic review of studies examining the relationship between IGD and impusivity utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was conducted via EBSCO (which included the following academic databases: Academic Search Complete, PsycARTICLES, and PsycINFO), PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Wiley Online Library. The inclusion criteria were (i) publication date between 2000 and 2019, (ii) being an empirical study that collected primary data, (iii) written in English and Turkish languages (the two languages spoken by the authors), (iv) published in a scholarly peer-reviewed journal, and (v) conducted an objective assessment of both IGD and impulsivity. Following these procedures, 33 eligible empirical studies remained for evaluation in the present review comprising 18,128 participants in total. Results demonstrated that despite many methodological weaknesses, 32 studies reported a positive association between impulsivity and IGD. Possible explanations for this consistent finding appear to indicate that altered neurobiological structures detected in participants with impulsivity may explain some of the relationships between impulsivity and internet gaming disorder.

Problematic Facebook use and problematic video gaming as mediators of relationship between impulsivity and life satisfaction among female and male gamers

“…Previous studies have shown that impulsivity is associated with PVG [58,73]. In this context, Blinka, Škařupová and Mitterova [74] reported a positive relationship between PVG, game engagement, frequency of play, and dysfunctional impulsivity.…”

“…Taking into account the I-PACE model [15,16], it can be assumed that impulsivity is one of the crucial predictors of problematic behaviors. Additionally, many studies point to high impulsivity as one of the essential risk factors of psychoactive substance use [50][51][52] and behavioral addictions [53][54][55][56][57][58]. Previous studies have also indicated that high impulsivity is associated with low life satisfaction [27] and that addictions are also associated with low life satisfaction [59][60][61].…”

The Relationship Between Problematic Video Gaming, Problematic Facebook Use, and Self-Control Dimensions Among Female and Male Gamers

“…The importance of self-control is even greater because previous studies have shown a positive relationship between self-control and success in various dimensions of life such as work, school, adjustment, interpersonal relationships, and management of problem desires ( De Ridder et al, 2012 ). Consequently, considering that previous studies have mostly focused on single aspects of selfcontrol ( Błachnio & Przepiorka, 2016 ; Kim et al, 2008 ; Khang et al, 2013 ; Mills & Allen, 2020 ; Şalvarlı & Griffiths, 2019 ) despite its multidimensionality (see Kotabe & Hofmann, 2015 ; Nęcka et al, 2016 ), further studies are needed to help explain the types of interdependence between various self-control dimensions and problematic behavior such as PFU and PVG.…”

The Spanish Version of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF): Further Examination Using Item Response Theory

“…Although there is evidence supporting the therapeutic and health-related benefits of judicious gaming among adolescents and adults [ 8 ], excessive and disordered gaming can negatively affect gamers’ psychological, social, and physical health [ 9 ], further leading to the experience of functional impairments [ 10 ], chronic stress [ 11 ], and sleep disturbances [ 12 ]. With regards to cross-sectional associations, previous research has found several factors to be associated with IGD, including, but not limited to increased levels of anxiety, depression, stress [ 11 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], and impulsivity [ 19 , 20 ]. Additional personality traits have been associated with IGD, such as high levels of neuroticism and low levels of conscientiousness [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”