Top

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Published in:

01-01-2010

The Use of Online Methodologies in Data Collection for Gambling and Gaming Addictions

Author: Mark D. Griffiths

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Issue 1/2010

Abstract

The paper outlines the advantages, disadvantages, and other implications of using the Internet to collect data from gaming addicts. Drawing from experience of numerous addiction studies carried out online by the author, and by reviewing the methodological literature examining online data collection among both gambling addicts and video game addicts, the main issues concerning data collected using the Internet are discussed and reviewed. This paper extends upon previous methodological papers in the area by outlining some of the methodological and ethical issues associated with specific (rather then generic) online methodologies that have been used to carry out gaming addiction research. The specific online data collection methods examined include the collection of gambling and video game addiction research data via (i) online questionnaires, (ii) online forums, (iii) online participant observation, (iv) online secondary data, (v) online interviews, (vi) online exemplar websites, and (vii) mixed methods online evaluation. It is concluded that the many advantages of online research methods can be a useful and practical way of examining many different aspects of gambling and video game addictions.

It should also be noted that all advisors had been aware before the start of the study that the evaluation team would be posing as gambling addicts and that all advisors accepted this as a legitimate part of the evaluation process.

Arksey, H., & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. doi:10.1080/1364557032000119616.CrossRef

Chappell, D., Eatough, V. E., Davies, M. N. O., & Griffiths, M. D. (2006). EverQuest—It’s just a computer game right? An interpretative phenomenological analysis of online gaming addiction. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 4, 205–216. doi:10.1007/s11469-006-9028-6.CrossRef

Cole, H., & Griffiths, M. D. (2007). Social interactions in massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10, 575–583. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9988.CrossRefPubMed

Eyles, J. (1988). Interpreting the geographical world: Qualitative approaches in geographical research. In J. Eyles & D. Smith (Eds.), Qualitative methods in human geography, pp. 1–16. Totawa, NJ: Barnes & Noble.

Eysenbach, G., & Till, J. E. (2001). Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities. British Medical Journal, 323, 1103–1105. doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7321.1103.CrossRefPubMed

Fisher, S., & Griffiths, M. D. (1995). Current trends in slot machine gambling: Research and policy issues. Journal of Gambling Studies, 11, 239–247. doi:10.1007/BF02104791.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D. (1991). Amusement machine playing in childhood and adolescence: a comparative analysis of video games and fruit machines. Journal of Adolescence, 14, 53–73. doi:10.1016/0140-1971(91)90045-S.CrossRefPubMed

Griffiths, M. D. (2000). Does internet and computer “addiction” exist? Some case study evidence. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 3, 211–218. doi:10.1089/109493100316067.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D. (2002). Using the internet for qualitative clinical research. Clinical Psychologist, 10, 27–30.

Griffiths, M. D. (2005a). The relationship between gambling and videogame playing: a response to Johansson and Gotestam. Psychological Reports, 96, 644–646. doi:10.2466/PR0.96.3.644-646.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D. (2005b). A “components” model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework. Journal of Substance Abuse, 10, 191–197. doi:10.1080/14659890500114359.

Griffiths, M. D. (2008). Digital impact, crossover technologies and gambling practices. Casino and Gaming International, 4(3), 37–42.

Griffiths, M. D., & 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. doi:10.1023/A:1009433014881.CrossRefPubMed

Griffiths, M. D., & Barnes, A. (2008). Internet gambling: an online empirical study among student gamblers. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 6, 194–204. doi:10.1007/s11469-007-9083-7.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2003). Breaking the stereotype: the case of online gaming. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 6, 81–91. doi:10.1089/109493103321167992.CrossRefPubMed

Griffiths, M. D., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2004a). Demographic factors and playing variables in online computer gaming. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7, 479–487. doi:10.1089/cpb.2004.7.479.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2004b). Online computer gaming: a comparison of adolescent and adult gamers. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 87–96. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.007.CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D., Parke, J., Wood, R. T. A., & Rigbye, J. (2009). Online poker gambling in university students: Further findings from an online survey. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi:10.1007/s11469-009-9203-7.

Grüsser, S. M., Thalemann, R., & Griffiths, M. D. (2007). Excessive computer game playing: Evidence for addiction and aggression? Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10, 290–292. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9956.CrossRefPubMed

Herbert, S. (2000). For ethnography. Progress in Human Geography, 2, 550–568. doi:10.1191/030913200100189102.CrossRef

Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2008). Gender swapping and socialising in cyberspace: an exploratory study. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 11, 47–53. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0020.CrossRefPubMed

Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2009). Excessive use of massively multi-player online role-playing games: a pilot study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi:10.1007/s11469-009-9202-8.

King, D., Delfabbro, P., & Griffiths, M. D. (2009). The psychological study of video game players: Methodological challenges and practical advice. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi:10.1007/s11469-009-9198-0.

Ley, D. (1988). Interpretive social research in the inner city. In J. Eyles (Ed.), Research in human geography, pp. 121–138. Oxford: Blackwell.

Lofland, J. (1976). Doing social life: The qualitative study of human interaction in natural settings. New York: Wiley.

Mays, N., Roberts, E., & Popay, J. (2001). Synthesising research evidence. In N. Fulop, P. Allen, A. Clarke & N. Black (Eds.), Studying the organisation and delivery of health services: Research methods. London: Routledge.

Meredith, A., Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2009). Online gaming: A scoping study of massively multi-player online role playing games. Electronic Commerce Journal. doi:10.1007/s10660-009-9029-1.

Niemz, K., Griffiths, M. D., & Banyard, P. (2005). Prevalence of pathological Internet use among university students and correlations with self-esteem, GHQ and disinhibition. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 8, 562–570. doi:10.1089/cpb.2005.8.562.CrossRefPubMed

Paccagnella, L. (2006). Getting the seats of your pants dirty: Strategies for ethnographic research on virtual communities. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, 3(1). Located at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/120837722/HTMLSTART [Last accessed February 1 2009].

Parke, J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2002). Slot machine gamblers—Why are they so hard to study? Journal of Gambling Issues, 6. Located at: http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue6/opinion/index.html (Last accessed February 2 2009).

Parke, A., & Griffiths, M. D. (2006). United Kingdom computer mediated communication and poker gambling: a cyber-ethnographic study of poker-web communities. Paper presented at the 13^th International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, Lake Tahoe, USA. May.

Parke, J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2008). Participant and non-participant observation in gambling environments. ENQUIRE, 1, 1–18.

Smeaton, M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2004). Internet gambling and social responsibility: an exploratory study. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7, 49–57. doi:10.1089/109493104322820110.CrossRefPubMed

Smith, J. A., & Osborn, M. (2003). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In J. A. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology. A practical guide to research methods, pp. 51–80. London: Sage.

Wardle, H., & Robinson, C. (2007). Who chooses web surveys? Mode choices among youth cohort studies respondents. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference of the Association of Survey Computing.

Wardle, H., Sproston, K., Orford, J., Erens, B., Griffiths, M. D., Constantine, R., et al. (2007). The Briish gambling prevalence survey 2007. London: The Stationery Office.

Wood, R. T. A., & Griffiths, M. D. (2007a). A qualitative investigation of problem gambling as an escape-based coping strategy. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 80, 107–125.CrossRef

Wood, R. T. A., & Griffiths, M. D. (2007b). Online data collection from gamblers: Methodological issues. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 5, 151–163. doi:10.1007/s11469-007-9055-y.CrossRef

Wood, R. T. A., & Griffiths, M. D. (2007c). Online guidance, advice, and support for problem gamblers and concerned relatives and friends: an evaluation of the Gam-Aid pilot service. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 35, 373–389. doi:10.1080/03069880701593540.CrossRef

Wood, R. T. A., Gupta, R., Derevensky, J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2004a). Video game playing and gambling in adolescents: Common risk factors. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 14, 77–100. doi:10.1300/J029v14n01_05.CrossRef

Wood, R. T. A., Griffiths, M. D., Chappell, D., & Davies, M. N. O. (2004b). The structural characteristics of video games: a psycho-structural analysis. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7, 1–10. doi:10.1089/109493104322820057.CrossRef

Wood, R. T. A., Griffiths, M. D., & Eatough, V. (2004c). Online data collection from videogame players: Methodological issues. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7, 511–518.

Wood, R. T. A., Griffiths, M. D., & Parke, A. (2007a). Experiences of time loss among videogame players: an empirical study. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10, 45–56. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9993.CrossRef

Wood, R. T. A., Griffiths, M. D., & Parke, J. (2007b). The acquisition, development, and maintenance of online poker playing in a student sample. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10, 354–361. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9944.CrossRef

Widyanto, L., Griffiths, M. D., Brunsden, V., & McMurran, M. (2008). The psychometric properties of the internet related problem scale: a pilot study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 6, 205–213. doi:10.1007/s11469-007-9120-6.CrossRef

Yardley, L. (2000). Dilemmas in qualitative health research. Psychology and Health, 15, 215–28.CrossRef

Yin, R. (1989). Case study research: Design and methods (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Title: The Use of Online Methodologies in Data Collection for Gambling and Gaming Addictions
Author: Mark D. Griffiths
Publication date: 01-01-2010
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction / Issue 1/2010
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-009-9209-1

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

The Use of Online Methodologies in Data Collection for Gambling and Gaming Addictions

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2010

Limited Cash Flow on Slot Machines: Effects of Prohibition of Note Acceptors on Adolescent Gambling Behaviour

Video Game Structural Characteristics: A New Psychological Taxonomy

An Empirical Study Examining the Impact of Gambling Advertisements on Adolescent Gambling Attitudes and Behaviors

Gambling in Ethnic Adolescent Populations: An Exploratory Study of the Utility of Problem Behaviour Theory as an Explanatory Framework

Recruiting Gamblers from the General Population for Research Purposes: Outcomes from Two Contrasting Approaches

The Role of Light and Music in Gambling Behaviour: An Empirical Pilot Study