Gaming Addiction and Aggression in Pakistani Young Adults: Through the Lens of Excitation Transfer Theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v1i1.4Keywords:
Gaming Addiction, , Aggression, Young Adults, Excitation Transfer TheoryAbstract
The present study investigated the relationship between gaming addiction and aggression among young adults. 160 participants (80 males and 80 females) were approached by purposive sampling. Cross-sectional, correlational research design was employed. The data were collected using two questionnaires: Gaming Addiction Inventory for Adults and The Aggression Questionnaire. The data was analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21. Results revealed that gaming addiction has significant but negative relationship with aggression, anger, and physical aggression, however, verbal aggression and hostility were not significantly related. Analysis of gender difference indicated males as more addicted to games than females, while aggression and its variants were not found to be significantly different. The study concluded that video game playing may become a source for releasing aggression, hence, lowering the physiological arousals and reducing aggression in life. The inverse relationship of gaming addiction and aggression implies the positive consideration of games for dealing with aggression among young adults. The study has certain limitations as forthcoming researches should examine the particular types of games with aggression or comparing different age groups will further enlighten the relationship of game playing and aggression.
References
Ahmed, U., & Ullah, I. (2013). Video Games Addiction: Positive and Negative Effects of Playing Video Games on Youth and Children. University of Boras: Sweden
Anderson, C. A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L.R., Johnson, J.D., Linz, D., . . . Wartella, E. (2003). The Influence of Media Violence on Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4(3), 81-110. doi: 10.1111/j.1529-1006.2003.pspi_1433.x
Anderson, C.A., & Dill, K.E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 772-790.
Anderson, C.A., Shibuya, A., Ihori, N., Swing, E.L., Bushman, B.J., Sakamoto, A., . . . Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in eastern and western countries: a meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 151-173. doi: 10.1037/a0018251
Anderson, C.A., & Murphy, C.R. (2003). Violent video games and aggressive behavior in young women. Aggressive behavior, 29(5), 423-429.
Baron, R.A., & Branscombe, R.N. (2012). Aggression: Its nature, causes, and control. In Social Psychology (13th ed.). USA: Pearson Education.
Betz, C., Mihalic, D., Pinto, M.E., & Raffa, R.B. (2000). Could a common biochemical mechanism underlie addictions? Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 25(1), 11-20.
Björkqvist, K., Lagerspetz, K.M., & Kaukiainen. A. (1992). Do girls manipulate and boys fight? Developmental trends in regard to direct and indirect aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 18, 117–127.
Brunborg, G.S., Mentzoni, R.A., & Froyland, L.R. (2014). Is video gaming, or video game addiction, associated with depression, academic achievement, heavy episodic drinking, or conduct problems? Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 3(1), 27-32. doi: 10.1556/JBA.3.2014.002
Bushman, B.J., & Huesmann, L.R. (2006). Short-term and long-term effects of violent media on aggression in children and adults. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 160(4), 348-352. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.160.4.348
Buss, A.H., & Perry, M. (1992). The aggression questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(3), 452.
Chiu, S.I., Lee, J.Z., & Huang, D.H. (2004). Video game addiction in children and teenagers in Taiwan. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 7(5), 571-581. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2004.7.571
Colwell, J., & Kato, M. (2003). Investigation of the relationship between social isolation, self‐esteem, aggression and computer game play in Japanese adolescents. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 6(2), 149-158.
Coyne, S.M., Nelson, D.A., Graham-Kevan, N., Tew, E., Meng, K.N., & Olsen, J.A. (2011). Media depictions of physical and relational aggression: connections with aggression in young adults' romantic relationships. Aggressive Behavior, 37(1), 56-62. doi: 10.1002/ab.20372
Fatima, H., & Ashfaq, A. (2014). Induction of Violent Characters through Video Games: A case study of Primary School going Children in Pakistan. The International Asian Research Journal, 2(3), 17-24.
Ferguson, C.J. (2011). Video games and youth violence: a prospective analysis in adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40(4), 377-391. doi: 10.1007/s10964-010-9610-x
Ferguson, C.J., San-Miguel, C., Garza, A., & Jerabeck, J.M. (2012). A longitudinal test of video game violence influences on dating and aggression: a 3-year longitudinal study of adolescents. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46(2), 141-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.10.014
Funk, J.B., Baldacci, H.B., Pasold, T., & Baumgardner, J. (2004). Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: is there desensitization? Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 23-39. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.005
Gentile, D.A., Choo, H., Liau, A., Sim, T., Li, D., Fung, D., & Khoo, A. (2011). Pathological video game use among youths: a two-year longitudinal study. Pediatrics, 127(2), 319-329. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-1353
Gentile, D.A., Lynch, P.J., Linder, J.R., & Walsh, D.A. (2004). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance. Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 5-22. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.002
Grant, J.E., Brewer, J.A., & Potenza, M.N. (2006). The neurobiology of substance and behavioral addictions. CNS Spectrums, 11(12), 924-930.
Graves, K.N. (2007). Not always sugar and spice: Expanding theoretical and functional explanations for why females aggress. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 131–140.
Griffiths, M.D. (1999). Internet addiction: Fact or fiction? The Psychologist, 12, 246-251. http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/
Griffiths, M.D. (2008). Diagnosis and management of video game addiction. New Directions in Addiction Treatment and Prevention. 12, 27–41
Griffiths, M.D., Davies, M.N., & Chappell, D. (2004). Online computer gaming: a comparison of adolescent and adult gamers. Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 87-96. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.007
Hawley, P.H., Card, N., & Little, T.D. (2007). The allure of a mean friend: Relationship quality and processes of aggressive adolescents with prosocial skills. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 32, 21–32.
Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M.D. (2009). The attitudes, feelings, and experiences of online gamers: a qualitative analysis. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 12(6), 747-753. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2009.0059
Kim, J., LaRose, R., & Peng, W. (2009). Loneliness as the cause and the effect of problematic Internet use: the relationship between Internet use and psychological well-being. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 12(4), 451-455. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2008.0327
Krahe, B., & Moller, I. (2004). Playing violent electronic games, hostile attributional style, and aggression-related norms in German adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 53-69. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.006
Longman, H., O'Connor, E., & Obst, P. (2009). The effect of social support derived from World of Warcraft on negative psychological symptoms. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 12(5), 563-566. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2009.0001
Mehroof, M., & Griffiths, M.D. (2010). Online gaming addiction: the role of sensation seeking, self-control, neuroticism, aggression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety. Cyber Psychology Behavior and Social Networking, 13(3), 313-316.
Mentzoni, R.A., Brunborg, G.S., Molde, H., Myrseth, H., Skouveroe, K.J., Hetland, J., & Pallesen, S. (2011). Problematic video game use: estimated prevalence and associations with mental and physical health. Cyber Psychology Behavior and Social Networking, 14(10), 591-596. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2010.0260
Park, C.H., Chun, J.W., Cho, H., Jung, Y.C., Choi, J., & Kim, D.J. (2015). Is the Internet gaming-addicted brain close to be in a pathological state? Addiction Biology. doi:10.1111/adb.12282
Qureshi, H.S., Khan, M.J., & Masroor, U. (2013). Increased Aggression and Loneliness as Potential Effects of Pathological Video-Gaming among Adolescents. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 11 (1), 66-71
Richardson, D.S., & Hammock, G. (2007). Social context of human aggression: Are we paying too much attention to gender? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 417–426.
Saleem, M., Waseem, M., Khan, R., & Ismail, R. (2015). Internet Addiction: It’s Relation with Loneliness among Undergraduate Students of South-Punjab, Pakistan. Science International Lahore, 27(2), 1469-1479.
Sajjad, S., Abdullah, A.H., Sharif, M., & Mohsin, S. (2014). Psychotherapy through Video Game to Target Illness Related Problematic Behaviors of Children with Brain Tumor. Current Medical Imaging Reviews. 10, 62-72
Schou, A. C., Billieux, J., Griffiths, M.D., Kuss, D.J., Demetrovics, Z., Mazzoni, E., & Pallesen, S. (2016). The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(2), 252-262. doi: 10.1037/adb0000160
Shaffer, H.J., LaPlante, D.A., LaBrie, R.A., Kidman, R.C., Donato, A.N., & Stanton, M.V. (2004). Toward a syndrome model of addiction: multiple expressions, common etiology. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 12(6), 367-374. doi: 10.1080/10673220490905705
Shaw, M., & Black, D.W. (2008). Internet addiction: definition, assessment, epidemiology and clinical management. CNS Drugs, 22(5), 353-365.
Skoric, M.M., Teo, L.L., & Neo, R.L. (2009). Children and video games: addiction, engagement, and scholastic achievement. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 12(5), 567-572. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2009.0079
Smahel, D., Brown, B.B., & Blinka, L. (2012). Associations between online friendship and Internet addiction among adolescents and emerging adults. Developmental Psychology, 48(2), 381-388. doi: 10.1037/a0027025
Staude-Muller, F. (2011). Violent video games and aggression: long-term impact and selection effects. Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie, 60(9), 745-761. doi: 10.13109/prkk.2011.60.9.745
Wan, C.S., & Chiou, W.B. (2006). Psychological motives and online games addiction: a test of flow theory and humanistic needs theory for Taiwanese adolescents. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 9(3), 317-324. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2006.9.317
Wenzel, H.G., Bakken, I.J., Johansson, A., Gotestam, K.G., & Oren, A. (2009). Excessive computer game playing among Norwegian adults: self-reported consequences of playing and association with mental health problems. Psychological Reports, 105(3 Pt 2), 1237-1247. doi: 10.2466/PR0.105.F.1237-1247
Wong, U., & Hodgins, D.C. (2013). Development of the game addiction inventory for adults (GAIA). Addiction Research and Theory, 22(3), 1-15. doi:10.3109/16066359.2013.824565
Yuan, K., Cheng, P., Dong, T., Bi, Y., Xing, L., Yu, D., . . . Tian, J. (2013). Cortical thickness abnormalities in late adolescence with online gaming addiction. PLoS One, 8(1), 53055. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053055
Zaffar, M., Mahmood, S., Saleem, M., & Zakaria, E. (2015). Facebook Addiction: Relation with Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness and Academic Performance of Pakistani Students. Science International Lahore, 27(3), 2469-2475.
Zillmann, D. (1988). Cognition–excitation interdependencies in aggressive behavior. Aggressive Behavior, 14, 51–64.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Journal of Professional & Applied Psychology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License (https://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-Commercial use, reproduction
and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the Journal website at (https://iprpk.com/ojs/index.php/jpap)
