Top

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Published in:

01-10-2012

A Conceptual Review of Research on the Pathological Use of Computers, Video Games, and the Internet

Authors: Timothy Sim, Douglas A. Gentile, Francesco Bricolo, Giovanni Serpelloni, Farah Gulamoydeen

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Issue 5/2012

Abstract

Preliminary research studies suggest that some people who use computer, video games, and the Internet heavily develop dysfunctional symptoms, often referred to in the popular press as an “addiction.” Although several studies have measured various facets of this issue, there has been no common framework within which to view these studies. This paper aims to provide a conceptual framework of “impulse control disorders” and describe what is known currently based on a review of the international literature, and highlight what remains to be studied. We suggest the term “Pathological Technology Use” (PTU) rather than “internet addiction”, since there is robust construct validity (via convergent validity and comorbidity) for pathological computer, video game and Internet use, regardless of how individual researchers defined or measured it. Questions concerning diagnostic criteria are raised, and a common set of diagnostic criteria is proposed.

Available only for authorised users

American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders ( 3 rd ed., revised). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

American Psychiatric Association. (2010, February 10). APA Announces Draft Diagnostic Criteria for DSM-5 [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org/Newsroom/Documents/Diag%20%20Criteria%20General%20FINAL%202.05.pdf.

Beard, K. W., & Wolf, E. M. (2001). Modification in the proposed diagnostic criteria for Internet addiction. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 4(3), 377–383.CrossRef

Black, D. W., Belsare, G., & Schlosser, S. (1990). Clinical features, psychiatric comorbidity, and health-related quality of life in persons reporting complusive computer use behavior. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60(12), 839–844.CrossRef

Bricolo, F., & Serpelloni, G. (2002). Efectos del uso de la tecnología digital en el cerebro y enel psique: análisis de las evidencias y do propuestas. Adicciones, 14(1), 107–116.

Bricolo, F., Marconi, P.L., Conte, G.L., di Giannantonio, M., & De Risio, S., (1997). Internet addiction disorder: una nuova dipendenza? Studio di un campione di giovani utenti. Società Italiana di Psichiatria Bollettino Scientifico e di Informazion, n. 1–2, anno IV, marzo-luglio, 38–44.

Brown, R. I. F. (1991). Gaming, gambling and other addictive play. In J. H. Kerr & M. J. Apter (Eds.), Adult place: A reversal theory approach (pp. 101–118). Amsterdam: Swets & Zeitlinger.

Cao, F. L., Su, L. Y., Liu, T. Q., & Gao, X. P. (2007). The relationship between impulsivity and Internet addiction in a sample of Chinese adolescents. European Psychiatry, 22, 466–471.PubMedCrossRef

Cavacuiti, C. A. (2011). Principles of addiction medicine: The essentials. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

Charlton, J. P. (2002). A factor-analytic investigation of computer ‘addiction’ and engagement. British Journal of Psychology, 93((Part 3)), 329–344.PubMedCrossRef

Chiu, S. I., Lee, J. Z., & Huang, D. H. (2004). Video game addiction in children and teenagers in Taiwan. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 7(5), 571–581.

Choo, H., Sim, T., Gentile, D. A., Li, D. D., & Khoo, A. (2010). Pathological video game use among Singaporean youth. Annuls of Academy of Medicine Singapore, 39(11), 822–829.

Chou, C., & Hsiao, M. C. (2000). Internet addiction, usage, gratifications, and pleasure experience—The Taiwan college students’ case. Computer Education, 35(1), 65–80.CrossRef

Chou, T. J., & Ting, C. C. (2003). The role of flow experience in cyber-game addiction. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 6(6), 663–675.CrossRef

Connors, G. J., Donovan, D. M., & Di Clemente, C. C. (2001). Substance abuse treatment and stages of change. New York: Guilford.

Davies, J. B. (1992). The myth of addiction. Chur: Harwood Academic Publishers.

Davis, R. A. (2001). A cognitive-behavioral model of pathological internet use. Computers in Human Behavior, 17, 187–195.CrossRef

Demmel, R. (2002). Internet addiction: Ein literaturüberblick. Sucht: Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis, 48, 29–46.

Diskin, K. M., & Hodgins, D. C. (1999). Narrowing of attention and dissociation in pathological video lottery gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 15(1), 17–28.PubMedCrossRef

Dowling, N. A., & Brown, M. (2010). Commonalities in the psychological factors associated with problem gambling and Internet dependence. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 13(4), 437–441.PubMedCrossRef

Dowling, N. A., & Quirk, K. (2009). Screening for Internet dependence: do proposed diagnostic criteria differentiate normal from dependent Internet use? Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 12(1), 21–27.CrossRef

Dowling, N., Smith, D., & Thomas, T. (2005). Electronic gaming machines: are they the ‘crack-cocaine’ of gambling? Addiction, 100(1), 33–45.PubMedCrossRef

Du, Y., Jiang, W., & Vance, A. (2010). Longer term effect of randomized, controlled group cognitive behavioural therapy for internet addiction in adoelscent students in Shanghai. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44(2), 129–134.PubMedCrossRef

Estallo, J. A. (2001). Usos y abusos de internet. Annuario de Psicologia, 32, 95–108.

Feng, Y., Yan, X., & Guo, X. (2003). Behavior problem and family environment of children with video games dependence. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 17((Part 6)), 367–368.

Ferraro, G., Caci, B., D’Amico, A., & Di Blasi, M. (2007). Internet addiction disorder: an Italian study. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 10(2), 170–175.CrossRef

Fisher, S. (1994). Identifying video game addiction in children and adolescents. Addictive Behaviors, 19(5), 545–553.PubMedCrossRef

Fisher, S., & Griffiths, M. (1995). Current trends in slot machine gambling: research and policy issues. Journal of Gambling Studies, 11(3), 239–247.CrossRef

Gentile, D. (2009). Pathological video-game use among youth ages 8 to 18: A national study. Psychological Science, 20(6), 594–602.PubMedCrossRef

Gentile, D. A., Tapscott, R. L., & Lynch, P. J. (2012) Construct validity and predictive validity of pathological video game use. Manuscript under review.

Gentile, D. A., Choo, H., Liau, A., Sim, T., Li, D., Fung, D., & Khoo, A. (2011). Pathological video game use among youth: a two-year longitudinal study. Pediatrics, 127(2), e319–e329.PubMedCrossRef

Glasser, W. (1976). Positive addiction. New York: Harper and Row.

Goodman, A. (1990). Addiction: definition and implications. British Journal of Addiction, 85(11), 1403–1408.PubMedCrossRef

Greenfield, D. (1999). Virtual addiction: Help for netheads, cyberfreaks, and those who love them. Oakland: New Harginger.

Griffiths, M. (2000). Does internet and computer “addiction” exist? Some case study evidence. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 3(2), 211–218.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. (2003). Internet gambling: issues, concerns, and recommendations. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 6(6), 557–568.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. (2011). The role of context in online gaming excess and addiction: Some case study evidence. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

Griffiths, M. D., & Dancaster, I. (1995). The effect of type A personality on physiological arousal while playing computer games. Addictive Behaviors, 20(4), 543–548.PubMedCrossRef

Griffiths, M. D., & Hunt, N. (1998). Dependence on computer games by adolescents. Psychological Reports, 82(2), 475–480.PubMedCrossRef

Griffiths, M., & Wood, R. T. A. (2000). Risk factors in adolescence: the case of gambling, video game playing, and the internet. Journal of Gambling Studies, 16, 199–225.PubMedCrossRef

Grüsser, S. M., Thalemann, R., Albrecht, U., & Thalemann, C. N. (2005). Exzessive computernutzung im Kindesalter–Ergebnisse einer psychometrischem Erhebung. Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, 117, 188–195.PubMedCrossRef

Grüsser, S. M., Thalemann, R., & Griffiths, M. D. (2007). Excessive computer game playing: evidence for addiction and aggression? Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 10(2), 290–292.CrossRef

Han, D. H., Hwang, J. W., & Renshaw, P. F. (2011). Bupropion sustained release treatment decreases craving for video games and cue-induced brain activity in patients with Internet video game addiction. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1(S), 108–117.CrossRef

Hoeft, F., Watson, C. L., Kesler, S. R., Bettinge, K. E., & Reiss, A. L. (2007). Gender differences in the mesocorticolimbic system during computer game-play. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 42, 253–258.CrossRef

Huang, M. P., & Alessi, N. E. (1996). The internet and the future of psychiatry. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 153(7), 861–869.PubMed

Johansson, A., & Götestam, K. G. (2004a). Internet addiction: characteristics of a questionnaire and prevalence in Norwegian youth. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45(3), 223–229.PubMedCrossRef

Johansson, A., & Götestam, K. G. (2004b). Problems with computer games with monetary reward: similarity to pathological gambling. Psychological Reports, 95(2), 641–650.PubMedCrossRef

Keepers, G. A. (1990). Pathological preoccupation with video games. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29(1), 49–50.PubMedCrossRef

Ko, C. H., Yen, J. Y., Yen, C. F., Lin, H. C., & Yang, M. J. (2007). Factors predictive for incidence and remission of Internet addiction in young adolescents: a prospective study. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 10(4), 545–551.CrossRef

Ko, C. H., Liu, G. C., Hsiao, S., Yen, J. Y., Yang, M. J., Lin, W. C., Yen, C. F., & Chen, C. S. (2009). Brain activities associated with gaming urge of online gaming addiction. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 43(7), 739–747.PubMedCrossRef

Kuczmierczyk, A. R., Walley, P. B., & Calhoun, K. W. (1987). Relaxation training, in vivo exposure and response-prevention in the treatment of compulsive video-game playing. Scandinavian Journal of Behavior Therapy, 16, 185–190.CrossRef

Kuntze, M. F., Stoermer, R., Mager, R., Roessler, A., Mueller-Spahn, F., & Bullinger, A. H. (2001). Immersive virtual environments in cue exposure. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 4, 497–501.CrossRef

Lam, L. T., & Peng, Z. W. (2010). Effect of pathological use of the internet on adolescent mental health: a prospective study. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 164(10), 901–906.

LaRose, R., Mastro, D., & Eastin, M. S. (2001). Understanding internet usage: a social-cognitive approach to uses and gratifications. Social Science Computer Review, 19, 395–413.CrossRef

Magerkurth, C., Cheok, A. D., Mandryk, R. L., & Nilsen, T. (2005). Pervasive games: bringing computer entertainment back to the real world. ACM Computers in Entertainment, 3, 1–19.CrossRef

McMurran, M. (1994). The psychology of addiction. London: Taylor and Francis.

Morahan-Martin, J., & Schumacher, P. (2000). Incidence and correlates of pathological internet use among college students. Computers in Human Behavior, 16(1), 13–29.CrossRef

Morganti, F. (2004). Virtual interaction in cognitive neuropsychology. In G. Riva, C. Botella, P. Légeron, & G. Optale (Eds.), Cybertherapy. Amsterdam: IOS.

Murali, V., & George, S. (2007). Lost online: an overview of Internet addiction. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 13, 24–30.CrossRef

Nichols, L. A., & Nicki, R. (2004). Development of a psychometrically sound Internet addiction scale: a preliminary step. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18, 381–384.PubMedCrossRef

Peng, L. H., & Li, X. (2009). A survey of Chinese college students addicted to video games. China Education Innovation Herald, 28, 111–112.

Petry, N. M. (2006). Should the scope of addictive behaviors be broadened to include pathological gambling? Addiction, 101(Supplement s1), 152–160.PubMedCrossRef

Pickens, R. W., & Svikis, D. S. (1989). Biological Vulnerability to Drug Abuse (NIDA Research Monograph, Number89). Rockville: Department of Health of Human Services.

Porter, G., Starcevic, V., Berle, D., & Fenech, P. (2010). Recognizing problem video game use. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44(2), 120–128.CrossRef

Putnam, D. F., & Maheu, M. M. (2000). Online sexual addiction and compulsivity: integrating web resources and behavioral telehealth in treatment. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 7, 91–112.CrossRef

Shaffer, D. (2004). Concepts of diagnostic classification. In J. M. Wiener & M. I. Dulcan (Eds.), The American psychiatric publishing textbook of child and adolescent psychiatry (pp. 77–85). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

Shaffer, H. J., & Kidman, R. (2003). Shifting perspectives on gambling and addiction. Journal of Gambling Studies, 19, 1–6.PubMedCrossRef

Shaffer, H. J., Hall, M. N., & Vander Bilt, J. (2000). “Computer addiction”: A critical consideration. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70, 162–168.PubMedCrossRef

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, 367–374.PubMedCrossRef

Shapira, N. A., Goldsmith, T. D., Keck, P. E., Khosla, U. M., & McElroy, S. L. (2000). Psychiatric features of individuals with problematic internet use. Journal of Affective Disorders, 57(1–3), 267–272.PubMedCrossRef

Shapira, N. A., Lessig, M. C., Goldsmith, T. D., Szabo, S. T., Lazoritz, M., Gold, M. S., et al. (2003). Problematic internet use: proposed classification and diagnostic criteria. Depression and Anxiety, 17(4), 207–216.PubMedCrossRef

Soper, W. B., & Miller, M. J. (1983). Junk-time junkies: an emerging addiction among students. School Counselor, 31(1), 40–43.

Stein, D. J. (1997). Internet addiction, internet psychotherapy. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 154(6), 890.PubMed

Tejeiro Salguero, R. A., & Bersabé Morán, R. M. (2002). Measuring problem video game playing in adolescents. Addiction, 97(12), 1601–1606.PubMedCrossRef

United Nations. (2003). Adolescent substance use: risk and protection. New York: United Nations.

Wassenaar, J. S., Van Doorn, A. B. D., & Dierssen, A. H. J. (1998). The human-computer interface: autonomy and addiction—a neuro-cognitive study. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 1, 353–360.CrossRef

Widyanto, L., & McMurran, M. (2004). The psychometric properties of the internet addiction test. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 7(4), 443–450.CrossRef

Willoughby, T. (2008). A short-term longitudinal study of internet and computer game use by adolescent boys and girls: prevalence, frequency of use, and psychosocial predictors. Developmental Psychology, 44(1), 195–204.PubMedCrossRef

Wood, R. T. A., Gupta, R., Derevensky, J. L., & Griffiths, M. (2004). Video game playing and gambling in adolescents: common risk factors. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 14, 77–100.CrossRef

Yang, C. K., Choe, B. M., Baity, M., Lee, J. H., & Cho, J. S. (2005). SCL-90-R and 16PF profiles of senior high school students with excessive internet use. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 50, 407–414.

Yee, N. (2002). Ariadne: Understanding MMORPG Addiction. Retrieved November 28, 2005, from Nick Yee’s Homepage: http://www.nickyee.com/hub/addiction/home.html.

Yoo, H. J., Cho, S. C., Ha, J., Yune, S. K., Kim, S. J., Hwang, J., et al. (2004). Attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms and internet addiction. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 58(5), 487–494.PubMedCrossRef

Young, K. S. (1996). Psychology of computer use: XL. Addictive use of the internet: a case that breaks the stereotype. Psychological Reports, 79(3 Pt 1), 899–902.PubMedCrossRef

Young, K. S. (1997). Internet addiction: the emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 1, 237–244.CrossRef

Young, K. S. (1998). Caught in the net. New York: Wiley.

Young, K. S. (1999). The evaluation and treatment of Internet addiction. In L. VandeCreek & T. Jackson (Eds.), Innovations in clinical practice: A source book (pp. 19–31). Sarasota: Professional Resource Press.

Young, K. (2004). Internet addiction: a new clinical phenomenon and its consequences. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(4), 402–415.CrossRef

Young, K. (2007). Cognitive-behavioral therapy with internet addicts: treatment outcomes and implications. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 10, 671–679.CrossRef

Title: A Conceptual Review of Research on the Pathological Use of Computers, Video Games, and the Internet
Authors: Timothy Sim
Douglas A. Gentile
Francesco Bricolo
Giovanni Serpelloni
Farah Gulamoydeen
Publication date: 01-10-2012
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction / Issue 5/2012
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-011-9369-7

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

A Conceptual Review of Research on the Pathological Use of Computers, Video Games, and the Internet

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2012

Gambling in the Iranian-American Community and an Assessment of Motives: A Case Study

Housework Metaphor for Gambling Public Health Action: An Indigenous Perspective

Recovery-promoting Care as Experienced by Persons with Severe Mental Illness and Substance Misuse

A Non-blaming Chance and Action Approach to Therapy with Sexually Explicit Media Overuse: A Case Study

Demand for Substance Abuse Treatment Related to Use of Crystal Methamphetamine in Ontario: an Observational Study

Heroin Abuse and Collective Identity: Correlates and Consequences of Geographical Place