This study examined the mediating effect of mindfulness and consciousness among five factors on the effect of stress on Internet game addiction tendency.
An online survey was conducted on 400 men and women between their 20s and 40s across Korea. The scales used in the study were the Internet game addiction scale based on the DSM-5, Perceived Stress Scale, Mindfulness Scale, and Five-Factor Personality Scale. For data analysis, structural equation modeling was conducted, and Sobel verification was carried out to verify the significance of the mediating effects.
The results of the study are as follows: Stress showed a positive correlation with Internet game addiction tendency, mindfulness mediated the effect of stress on Internet game addiction tendency.
Of the five personality factors, conscientiousness also mediated the effect of stress on Internet game addiction tendency. This study highlights the need for further research for individuals with game addiction tendency.
Game addiction is a form of behavioral addiction that shows impulsiveness, indifference to interpersonal relationships, association with other addictions, and psychological and physical symptoms when the game is stopped [
In addition, the 72nd World Health Organization (WHO) general assembly included “gaming disorders” in the 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD) standard. In content, gaming disorder refers to continuous or repetitive game behavior patterns both online and offline. The criteria are continuing or expanding game play, even if it causes serious damage to the individual or to family, society, education, or employment, or important behaviors such as the inability to control the game (such as frequency, intensity, and duration), to such an extent that the game is given priority over other life concerns and priorities of everyday life. If all three of the above criteria are met and continue for more than 12 months, diagnosis will be made, but severe cases may be diagnosed after a shorter duration.
Internet game addiction makes it difficult to distinguish between the real world and the virtual world, and it leads to withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and illusions when the individual is not playing games, leading to serious difficulty in concentration, poor academic performance, and daily life [
Adults’ addiction to Internet games can have more serious consequences than in children and teenagers. Adults primarily use gambling or violent games; show reduced social productivity; and experience personal impacts on their homes, jobs, and studies [
Stress is defined as the physiological and psychological responses to internal and external perceptions of the body, whereby stress causes it to respond to specific needs [
Depression, anxiety, neurosis, pain, and physical symptoms can emerge when stress is not resolved with appropriate coping methods and when avoidant coping methods are used [
Many people choose various leisure activities to cope with stress [
Games account for a large portion of Internet use. One study found that games account for 81.3% of all content used among Internet and smartphone users. A considerable number of people who are prone to Internet addiction show markedly greater use of games than other content [
Mindfulness is the process of intentionally observing the body and mind and accepting what is being experienced at that moment; Kabat-Zinn defined it as the ability to focus attention on the moment [
Mindfulness is used not only to cope with stress but also to treat addiction [
Lazarus and Folkman [
Conscientiousness can develop even after adulthood. A study of adults aged 21 to 60 years showed that conscientiousness changed significantly throughout early and mid-adult periods, and that it was also found to change, albeit modestly, in later age groups as compared to their early years [
Conscientiousness refers to personality traits of a high self-regulation, a high sense of responsibility, observing social norms or principles, and diligence and order [
As discussed above, people who use evasive methods in stressful situations are likely to fall into Internet game addiction. In this process, it is assumed that mindfulness will lead to maintaining distance from stress situations and alleviate the craving for games by recognizing the triggers of game addiction, creating opportunities to make other choices. Personality also allows the assessment of and coping with stressful situations. In particular, conscientiousness is assumed to control current desires and impulses, thereby reducing Internet game addiction, an evasive way of coping.
The research questions are as follows: Research Question 1. Is greater stress associated with a greater likelihood of addiction to Internet games? Research Question 2. Will mindfulness mediate the effect of stress on internet game addiction tendency? Research Question 3. How is stress associated with the Five Factor in their effects on Internet game addiction?
Based on demographic ratios, online surveys of adults in their 20s to 40s across the country were conducted by research companies to collect the data. The data of 400 people who participated in the data collection were included in the final analysis, of whom 206 were men (51.5%) and 194 were women (48.5%). The age distribution was 28.5% were in their 20s, 33.3% in their 30s, and 38.5% in their 40s. The demographic characteristics of the study participants are shown in
The means and standard deviations of Internet game addiction measures were checked to determine the tendency of Internet game addiction across subjects. The average and standard deviation of the scale of game addiction were 1.27 and 2.04, respectively. Of all participants, 10.25% showed a tendency toward addiction to Internet games, as shown in
The measure of Internet game addiction was developed by Petry et al. [
A perceived stress scale developed by Cohen et al. [
The perceived stress measures in the study of the reform and validity of Park and Seo [
Of the two sub-factors, the questions of “negative perception” confirm the uncontrollable, unpredictable, and overwhelming character of such a perception and indicate that the higher this score, the more stressful it is. Preliminary studies show that the convergence of measurement models with two factors of negative and positive perception is not high, so this study assessed stress using only the “negative perception” scale of the sub-factors. The content consists of seven questions, e.g., “How many times did something unexpected happen that made you upset?” and “How many times did you feel that important things were out of control?” The internal compatibility in Park and Seo [
The mindfulness scale developed by Park [
The questions are reverse-scored, meaning that the lower the score, the greater the mindfulness. In this study, the collected data were scored such that the higher the score, the greater the mindfulness.
In Park [
Based on the NEO-PI-R five-factor scale developed by Costa and MaCrae [
Data from this study were analyzed with SPSS 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and AMOS 21.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). The specific procedure was as follows: first, a descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to identify the demographic characteristics and reliability of all measures. Second, structural equation modelling was performed using AMOS 21.0, and the research hypothesis was verified by considering the path coefficients of the structural equation model. The results of correlation analysis were presented in
A research model was constructed to examine whether stress affects Internet game addiction through conscientiousness among the five factors of mindfulness and personality. Internet game addiction is an independent variable and stress is a single dependent variable, while mindfulness is a parameter measured with attention, critical acceptance, current awareness, and decentralism. Among the five parameters of personality, factors other than integrity were removed from the model due to the lack of significant condensation.
To confirm the suitability of the model, the fit of the research model was verified and compared with that of a competing model. The model’s goodness-of-fit assessment was determined by the
The same model may or may not be rejected depending on its size, so CFI, TLI, and RMSEA were calculated. CFI and TLI represent good suitability for values above 0.09, RMSEA values below 0.05, good fit if below 0.08, and good fit if below 0.10 are normally considered [
This study was approved by the Korea Counseling Graduate University Institutional Review Board (17-2-R-02-01).
Verifiable factor analysis was conducted to determine the validity of the measurements before analysis. Verification confirmed that the fit of the measurement model was good:
The research model validated the data as appropriate, but the path from stress to Internet game addiction was not statistically significant. Validation of the competition model also found that it was appropriate, as Δ
Bootstrap analysis and Sobel verification were conducted to verify the statistical significance of the mediating path from stress to the internet gaming addiction tendency. According to the Sobel test results, both pathways were significant. These results are presented in
In this study, we examined whether stress affects the tendency of Internet game addiction and investigated the influence of conscientiousness among the five factors in mind and personality as a variable that can cause Internet game use to decrease even in stressful situations.
The main results of this study are as follows: first, there is a consistent correlation between stress and Internet game addiction tendencies. These results support the results of studies showing that the greater the stress, the greater the likelihood of addiction to Internet games [
Second, extroversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism among the five factors of personality and mindfulness showed a significant correlation with stress and Internet game addiction tendency. The relationship between stress and mindfulness shows the same results as were found in several studies conducted since Kabat-Zinn introduced mindfulness as a way to reduce stress [
Next, the relationship between mindfulness and the tendency to become addicted to Internet games supports the results of an earlier study [
Neuropathy showed static correlation with both stress and Internet game addiction, while extroversion and conscientiousness showed an insignificant correlation between stress and Internet game addiction. These results are similar to those of studies that identified relationships between neurosis and stress [
In terms of the five factors and the tendency to Internet game addiction, neurosis was not related to the tendency to Internet game addiction and is not related to extroversion and conscientiousness. This is similar to Lee’s [
This study found that among personality factors, neuroticism, extroversion, and conscientiousness are related to the tendency of Internet game addiction. The more neurosis or less extroversion and conscientiousness an individual has, the greater the likelihood of becoming addicted to Internet games. People with high levels of neuroticism may show a tendency to fall into Internet game addiction because of low emotional stability, a tendency to fail to adapt in everyday life, while those with high conscientiousness may show less tendency to Internet game addiction because they are goal-oriented and achievement-oriented, thus striving to control their behavior. Individuals high in extroversion like to meet and date others, showing that they expect to maintain more intimate relationships. Thus, they appear to have lower Internet game addiction tendencies due to their orientation toward the real world rather than virtual subjects.
Third, the structural equation model was verified to check whether mindfulness and conscientiousness act as parameters in the relationship between stress and Internet game addiction tendencies. Verification found the parameters to fully mediate the effects of stress on Internet game addiction tendency. In the association of stress and Internet game addiction tendency, mindfulness and conscientiousness showed a major relationship with stress and Internet game addiction.
Mindfulness had a mediating effect on stress and Internet game addiction such that the higher the stress, the lower the mindfulness, and the lower the mindset, the higher the tendency to Internet game addiction. There has been no study of mind-caring and Internet game addiction among Korean studies, but this result is similar to that of a study [
Among the five factors, the mediating effect of conscientiousness and tendency to increased Internet game addiction is such that the higher the stress, the lower the level of conscientiousness and the higher the tendency to increased Internet game addiction. These results are similar to those of one study [
This study has the following significance in helping physicians treat the overuse of games. First, this study examined the variables that influence adult Internet game addiction tendencies. Most earlier studies of game addiction involved children and teenagers. There is a need to intervene for present-day adults who were teenagers when Internet games first became popular, and to do so it is necessary to understand the tendency of adults to become addicted to Internet games.
Second, this study confirmed mindfulness and conscientiousness as variables that mediate the relationship between stress and Internet game addiction tendency. There has been no previous study examining the mediating effects of both mental care and conscientiousness between stress and the tendency of Internet game addiction. This study thus allows us to further expand our knowledge of the path from stress to Internet game addiction.
Third, mindfulness can be used to reduce Internet game addiction through counseling processes or programs. It is believed that existing mindfulness programs can be applied as interventions in Internet game addiction based on the results of expanded research [
During counseling, the counselor will assign tasks to accurately understand the stress and feelings of interviewees addicted to games so as to objectively view their experiences in situations even outside the consultation period, and then give feedback regarding self-control by helping them recognize stress, sexual emotions, and behavior. This repetition of the process will allow the interviewee to positively use games that were previously used only as a means of avoidance.
We will also be able to train individuals showing a tendency to Internet game addiction to realize and control what happens automatically. By controlling themselves through mindfulness, individuals might be trained to use games well and reduce excessive game use.
Fourth, the higher the level of conscientiousness among the five factors, the stronger their stress and the lower their tendency to Internet game addiction. This finding may serve as a basis for establishing a counseling intervention strategy that can help physicians express the factors of conscientiousness found in the counseling session.
In adulthood, one’s personality can continue to change due to the circumstances in which responsibilities are given [
Finally, we point out the following limitations and suggestions for subsequent research. First, the study was limited to those between their 20s and 40s. However, 58.6% of game users in their 50s or older and 51.9% of those aged 60 to 65 years are expected to need study in addition to those in their 20s and 30s. In addition, the proportion of subjects in their early twenties was only 9% in the subjects of this study, so the moderating effect according to the age group could not be verified. However, in the follow-up study, it may be necessary to conduct a comparative study between the group from the late teens to the early 20s and the adult group thereafter. This is because mediating effects may differ depending on age.
Second, the measure of Internet game addiction used in this study consists of questions prepared based on the criteria of Internet gaming disorder in the Conditions for Further Study (DSM-5). Therefore, as debate over the conceptualization and appropriateness of diagnosis standards for Internet game addiction still persists, the study of appropriate measures should continue.
The datasets generated or analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
Conceptualization: all authors. Formal analysis: Jae Woo Park, Taeyeong Choi. Data curation: Jae Woo Park, Taeyeoung Choi. Investigation: all authors. Project administration: Taeyeoung Choi. Investigation: all authors. Methodology: Jae Woo Park, Taeyeong Choi. Resources: all authors. Supervision: Jae Woo Park, Dai-jin Kim. Validation: Jae Woo Park, Dai-jin Kim. Visualization: Taeyeong Choi. Writing—original draft: Taeyeong Choi. Writing—review & editing: all authors.
None.
Research mode.
Verifying factors analysis for the measurement model.
Research model (partial model).
Competitive model (full-mediating model).
The demographic characteristics of the participants
Categories | Frequency | Ratio |
---|---|---|
Gender | ||
Men | 206 | 51.5 |
Women | 194 | 48.5 |
Current age | ||
20–29 | 114 | 28.5 |
30–39 | 133 | 33.3 |
40–49 | 153 | 38.5 |
Educational attainment | ||
High school graduate | 51 | 12.8 |
College student | 38 | 9.5 |
College graduate | 283 | 75.3 |
Post-graduate or higher | 28 | 7.0 |
Occupation | ||
Officer | 253 | 63.3 |
Student | 58 | 14.5 |
Freelance | 17 | 4.3 |
Not employed | 39 | 9.8 |
Other | 33 | 8.3 |
Monthly income | ||
Less than 2 million won | 163 | 40.7 |
Less than 4 million won | 157 | 39.3 |
Less than 6 million won | 68 | 17.0 |
Over 6 million won | 12 | 3.0 |
Results of participants’ tendency to addiction to Internet games
Classification of addiction orientations | Frequency | Ratio |
---|---|---|
Addiction trend group | 41 | 10.25 |
General usage group | 359 | 89.75 |
Correlation coefficients between variables (N=400)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Negative perception 1 | - | |||||||||||||
2 | Negative perception 2 | 0.617 |
- | ||||||||||||
3 | Total stress | 0.881 |
0.916 |
- | |||||||||||
4 | Internet game addiction | 0.185 |
0.127 |
0.171 |
- | ||||||||||
5 | De-centered attention | -0.414 |
-0.314 |
-0.400 |
-0.303 |
- | |||||||||
6 | Present awareness | -0.327 |
-0.216 |
-0.296 |
-0.401 |
0.678 |
- | ||||||||
7 | Non-judgemental acceptance | -0.313 |
-0.223 |
-0.293 |
-0.423 |
0.728 |
0.805 |
- | |||||||
8 | Concentration | -0.308 |
-0.214 |
-0.285 |
-0.462 |
0.697 |
0.792 |
0.840 |
- | ||||||
9 | Total mindfulness | -0.379 |
-0.269 |
-0.355 |
-0.436 |
0.865 |
0.906 |
0.931 |
0.914 |
- | |||||
10 | Extraversion | -0.264 |
-0.188 |
-0.248 |
-0.170 |
0.309 |
0.291 |
0.261 |
0.299 |
0.321 |
- | ||||
11 | Conscientiousness | -0.206 |
-0.144 |
-0.192 |
-0.215 |
0.233 |
0.253 |
0.250 |
0.325 |
0.291 |
0.661 |
- | |||
12 | Neuroticism | 0.395 |
0.315 |
0.391 |
0.306 |
-0.569 |
-0.483 |
-0.490 |
-0.506 |
-0.568 |
-0.269 |
-0.173 |
- | ||
13 | Agreeableness | -0.114 |
-0.050 | -0.088 | -0.081 | 0.058 | 0.047 | 0.051 | 0.075 | 0.063 | 0.506 |
0.433 |
-0.022 | - | |
14 | Openness | -0.019 | 0.074 | 0.035 | -0.035 | 0.000 | 0.072 | 0.005 | 0.020 | 0.027 | 0.433 |
0.398 |
0.077 | 0.316 |
- |
p<0.01;
p<0.05
Comparing study models and competition models to suitability
χ2 | df | TLI | CFI | RMSEA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Research model | 67.724 | 17 | 0.951 | 0.970 | 0.086 |
Competing model | 67.740 | 18 | 0.971 | 0.971 | 0.083 |
TLI, Tucker-Lewis Index; CFI, Conparative Fit Index
Path coefficients for the final model
Path | Non-standardization factor | Standardization factor | SE | CR |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stress → mindfulness | -0.723 | -0.414 | 0.119 | -6.069 |
Stress → conscientiousness | -0.315 | -0.246 | 0.075 | -4.221 |
Mindfulness → Internet game addiction | -0.252 | -0.444 | 0.028 | -8.925 |
Conscientiousness → Internet game addiction | -0.068 | -0.088 | 0.035 | -1.958 |
SE, standard error; CR, critical ratio
Sobel verification results
Path | Non-standardized estimation | Standard error | Sobel verification |
---|---|---|---|
Stress → mindfulness | -1.222 | -0.057 | 5.929 |
Mindfulness → Internet game addiction | 0.161 | 0.006 | |
Stress → conscientiousness | -0.112 | -0.147 | 2.697 |
Conscientiousness → Internet game addiction | 0.029 | 0.039 | |
Bootstrap results of the mediating path 95% CI | (0.137–0.282) |