ULM. Probably most teachers at secondary schools have been confronted with the issue of computer game addiction in their daily work. Boys seem to be particularly affected. But also certain personality traits seem to be relatively strongly related to a computer gaming disorder.
Computer games have been part of many people’s everyday lives not just since the Corona lockdowns. Teenagers in particular like to dive into the gaming worlds and spend a lot of time online. Around three million young people between the ages of 12 and 17 in Germany regularly play on the computer, according to estimates by the German Employees’ Health Insurance Fund (DAK). Of these, 15.4 percent are considered high-risk gamers. In the meantime, the clinical picture of “gaming disorder” has been included in the classification of the World Health Organization (WHO). Signs of a computer gaming disorder include loss of control over computer gaming activity and continuing to play despite negative consequences in everyday life. Excessive consumption of computer games can also have physical effects – from sleep disorders to poor concentration and postural problems.
In a study, researchers from the University of Ulm, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the University of London have now investigated how and whether the development of “gaming disorder” is associated with various personality factors. “Until now, there has been no study that has examined these relationships in terms of the WHO criteria,” says author Christian Montag of the Department of Molecular Psychology at the University of Ulm.
For the survey of personality traits, the well-known “Big Five” personality model was used. According to this, a person’s personality can be classified into five main dimensions. These include openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion (sociability, liveliness), agreeableness (thoughtfulness, empathy) and neuroticism (emotional instability and vulnerability).
The results of the study indicated that the personality traits “low conscientiousness” and “high neuroticism” were most likely to be associated with tendencies toward disordered computer game behavior. “We are aware,” Montag explains, “that the present study cannot conclusively clarify whether personality is a cause or a consequence of disordered gaming behavior. However, given the stability of personality traits, I tend to assume that the former is more likely.” Further studies should provide clarity here.
According to Montag, the study took a global approach, with a large number of statements designed to provide particularly robust results. A total of more than 50,000 online questionnaires were evaluated, in which the study participants provided demographic information as well as statements about their computer gaming behavior and personality. In order to obtain a comprehensive data pool with as many participants as possible, the study is part of a worldwide smart gaming campaign in cooperation with the online tournament and competition organizer Electronic Sports League, which aims to promote responsible and healthy gaming behavior.
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