Playing too much? Global video game addiction study

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DanLoton

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Australia
Melbourne, Aust
Hi All,

My name is Dan Loton and i'm a researcher and Psychology PhD student at Victoria University investigating video game addiction and health. I have a brief history in this area; I completed my Psych honours study on video game addiction and social skills, finding a lack of social skills is not likely to be a major cause of video game addiction. Here's the full thesis if you're really bored :)

This time around i'm undertaking an extended PhD on the topic, and i'm hoping to discover the exact impact (if any) excessive video game play can have on health, as well as major life domains, including working, studying and relationships. I'm hoping to learn more about the point at which gaming becomes problematic, something which isn't yet agreed upon by researchers.

The study is online and involves completing a short 5-10 minute survey once a month for 9 months - like a diary that measures video game playing habits and general health. The study is for adults only (18 and up) as it is thought the negative consequences of excessive gaming may be more severe for adults than teenagers, so if you'd like to take part, please visit www.videogamestudies.net

I thought this may be a topic of interest for gamers on GTplanet, and I did advertise my previous honours thesis on here so some may remember the discussions from way back then. Actually heaps of GT'ers took part in my honours study, and showed some of the highest time commitment of the sample, despite playing mostly in solitary (i.e. not with friends). But I suspect that's changed now with many more multiplayer options in the new GT and other racing sims.

The study will be popping up around various forums and probably the media. Thanks for reading, and if you know anyone who might be interested in the study facebook and twitter sharing features are now on the site. All feedback, thoughts and questions are welcome.

Cheers,
Dan.
 
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Hi Folks,

It's been ages since I posted something on here, but it would be good to gather some volunteers from this great GT community to assist Dan in his studies.

Dan is a friend of mine, and his research is quite interesting, especially to us gamers. You or your friends may be able to relate to his study and your information may prove very valuable to his dedicated research. I was one of his participants in his earlier study that was posted to this forum some time back, and it's worth checking out if you can spare a few minutes.

Cheers and good luck with the study Dan.
 
Yes, always. I drift trolleys at the super market, and drift around in my socks on the timbre floors at home.
 
Have you considered that your sample maybe be biased? We're too busy playing Skyrim.
 
Effects on health, I assume you mean negative effect?

In all honestly I spent at least 15 hours a week, for up to a year playing GT4 when I had a major depression in 2008. It was the only thing that took my mind of the real world and did wonders as a form of meditation.

It was an addiction but in the best sense. It worked better than any medication and helped me through a tough time in my life.

If you'd like to know more you can PM me with any questions you have. I'd like it to be known that not all game addictions are anti-social or harmful to the players health.
 
Thanks for the interest everyone. Firstly, not just negative relationships are being investigated no, the scales are two-way, if a positive rship between video game play or addiction is present it will appear in the analysis. That's actually one of the central questions, is video game addiction a coping mechanism? And the only way to determine that is to collect data over time. That way, I could isolate a group who had problems, say high stress, at the beginning of the study. I can split that group into those who played video games excessively, and compare to the high stress group that didn't play video games, and see whether the video games actually reduced stress during that time period. Make sense? The stats get a bit heavygoing to explain further than that, but suffice to say there are ways of analyzing the relationships between variables without having to define distinct groups like that. A single time measurement would not allow analyses of the order in which things occur, and that's how 'outcomes' and 'risk factors' are established in research like this.

Thanks for the anecdotal account too it helps, if you would like to take part there is an open ended question asking for any further opinions, and I'll be looking at that qualitative data at the end. Even if you dont game much now your info will still help as you'd likely be a control group participant then. In the end, the line that divides a healthy hobby and something problematic isn't yet defined.

Dan
 
Sorry for spelling mistakes there im typing on my phone. And Dave ur not that geriatric yet, but we'll all end up there one day :)
 
I don't need a study to tell me how long I am playing my PS3 for. I'll decide when it's too much, because I have a thing called FREE WILL.
 
Yeah it's a controversial issue. While a lot of gamers have said they've had problems with excessive play, research suggest that the great majority don't. I also don't think your free will should be taken away from you. I'm just trying to set up a study that will give a fairly objective and accurate measure of what these problems might be, or if indeed there are any at all.

Cheers,
Dan.
 
Omnis
Have you considered that your sample maybe be biased? We're too busy playing Skyrim.
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Here here! :) 👍

Skyrim is taking over all of my free time!
 
Yup, Psych studies always have to contend with some pretty enjoyable activities, maybe when you've got some downtime you might be interested in taking part :). I haven't got into Skyrim yet, but i'm looking forward to it, I played through Oblivion which obliviated my social life for a little while, and i'll probably pick up my copy of Skyrim tomorrow if I get a chance!

Cheers,
Dan.
 
DanLoton
Sorry for spelling mistakes there im typing on my phone. And Dave ur not that geriatric yet, but we'll all end up there one day :)
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You should fix them. A craftsman doesn't blame his tools.
 
Hot4
Yes, always. I drift trolleys at the super market, and drift around in my socks on the timbre floors at home.
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Off topic, but so do I. Do you by any chance wear wool socks?
 
Excellent thanks heaps everyone, I hope you found it interesting and keep in mind i'll be posting the preliminary analyses on the site as I go along. Simply couldn't do the research without your input.

Cheers,
Dan.
 
beeblebrox237
Off topic, but so do I. Do you by any chance wear wool socks?
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I find 100% cotton does the trick on timber floors... a combination of grip and slip. Wool socks i have tried also, but i find them a little slow on the corners, especially around the kitchen.

My dog has more drifting experience than me though, he started at 8 weeks old on the floor tiles!
 
I tend to play games that have a sort of competitive aspect to it, in fact I'm writing an essay about it right now.... and I've always put more hours into games where I "compete" against other players rather than playing by myself (like story modes). I wouldn't exactly call it an "addiction" because it's not like I feel the need to keep playing... maybe more like a "strong interest" or "drive to rank the highest amongst the community", and that interest or drive- depending on its level- will determine how often I'll be playing the game, how long I will be playing it in one sitting.

Sometimes I will go out and practice tackling certain corners in a racing game to cut down on my lap time, experiment when and where I should use nitrous that is most beneficial, and find out whether or not an alternative route is quicker....
I take what I've learned and apply it to week-by-week competitions and online race sessions... So I guess I could say I play a certain game because I want to constantly improve at it.
 
Interesting, so a large aspect of the motivation for you is increasing your achievement in-game. How about competing against yourself, does that motivate you more/less/same as competing against other players (i.e. not AI opponents)? As distinct from say progressing through a storyline.
 
I can't really explain it but I can outline my reasons based on the type of game I'm playing. But they're a bit superficial, I guess :lol:

> I play racing games simply because I love cars. It's my passion.

> I play first-person shooters (and other genres related to that) because I'm just joining the bandwagon. Whatever's famous, I'm usually curious so I give the game a try. If I get hooked to one, then that means it's fun for me to play along until the fun lasts. Besides, I also have some friends who play the same game with me, especially Team Fortress 2.

> I play puzzle games because usually when I'm not at home and I'm bored, I spot a random game in my phone and complete it. Something done randomly all because of outdoor boredom.

And as usual, I play videogames as a form of leisure. No need to explain on this point.
 
DanLoton
Interesting, so a large aspect of the motivation for you is increasing your achievement in-game. How about competing against yourself, does that motivate you more/less/same as competing against other players (i.e. not AI opponents)? As distinct from say progressing through a storyline.
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Competing against myself? No, not really. What do I gain out of beating myself really? "Woo! Go me! Now what?" So I got a new high-score, who am I going to tell about it? No one? What was the point if no one else is going to know or care?

The way I see it, competing "against yourself" has a sort of flawed logic, because by definition, competing is the strive to beat others at something who are doing the same... You could argue that one would want to set a new high score, but that wouldn't be beating themselves, that would be beating the competition even further.
 
AOS-
Competing against myself? No, not really. What do I gain out of beating myself really? "Woo! Go me! Now what?" So I got a new high-score, who am I going to tell about it? No one? What was the point if no one else is going to know or care?

The way I see it, competing "against yourself" has a sort of flawed logic, because by definition, competing is the strive to beat others at something who are doing the same... You could argue that one would want to set a new high score, but that wouldn't be beating themselves, that would be beating the competition even further.
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Interesting Point .When I Do Time Trails by myself ,I do it for the sake of Improving my skill and adapting to Different Car/Track Combo but when I see my brother I let him have a Go to Compare lap times and It is a more satisfying feeling when you beat an Opponent rather than yourself that is for sure /2 cents
 
And that self-improvement serves as a "way to ensure you stay on top of everyone" which is what I've been saying ;)👍
 
AOS-
Winning is satisfying, you should know what that feels like ;)
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Winning, especially like at local tournaments. It is satisfying knowing that you improved your gameplay but to know if your better than the person is somewhat hard to tell.
 

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