Thesis

Kohti pelisivistystä : Nuorten digitaalinen pelaaminen ja pelihaitat kotien kasvatuskysymyksenä

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Abstract

Digitaalinen pelaaminen on noussut merkittäväksi harrastukseksi ja ilmiöksi etenkin nuorten ja nuorten aikuisten parissa, ja tuonut mukanaan uudenlaisia kasvatuksellisia haasteita. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, millaisia vaatimuksia suomalaisten nuorten (13–30-vuotiaat) pelaamismotiivit, kokemukset pelihaitoista ja pelaamiseen liittyvästä kasvatuksesta asettavat kotien pelikasvatukselle. Tutkimuksessa esitellään pelisivistyksen käsite ja tarkastellaan sen näkökulmasta pelikasvatuksen keskeisiä kysymyksiä. Tutkimuksen kolmessa osatutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin pelaavien nuorten kokemuksia pelaamisestaan: miksi nuoret pelasivat, mitä haittoja nuoret olivat pelaamisen yhteydessä kokeneet ja miten nuoret olivat kokeneet pelaamisen käsittelyn kotikasvatuksessa. Tulokset paljastivat laajan kirjon erilaisia pelaajia, pelikokemuksia ja pelaamisen tapoja. Peleistä saatiin tärkeitä omaehtoisuuden, yhteenkuuluvuuden ja osaamisen kokemuksia, mutta ne olivat myös ajantappamista tylsinä hetkinä. Runsaasti pelaavilla nuorilla esiintyi muita nuoria enemmän pelihaittoja. Pelaamisen määrä ei kuitenkaan ollut luotettava haitallisuuden mittari, vaan pelaamisen motiivit ja vastaajien omat kokemukset liikaa pelaamisesta olivat yhteydessä haittojen esiintymiseen. Nuoret olivat tietoisia pelaamiseen liittyvistä riskeistä ja pyrkivät ehkäisemään niitä. Tulosten perusteella pelaaminen ei vaikuta olevan suomalaisille nuorille merkittävä riski ikäluokkatasolla, mutta yksilötasolla vaikutukset voivat olla hyvinkin suuria, etenkin mikäli pelaaminen kytkeytyy muihin ongelmiin. Nuorten kertomuksissa vanhempien asenteet pelaamista kohtaan vaihtelivat hyvin kielteisistä voimakkaan myönteisiin, mikä näkyi myös kasvatusvalinnoissa. Nuorten pelikasvatusnäkemyksissä korostuivat sekä pelaamisen ymmärtämisen ja myönteisen käsittelyn että haittojen ehkäisyn näkökulmat. Tuloksia peilataan nuorten pelaamisen aiempaan tutkimukseen ja julkiseen keskusteluun. Tulosten perusteella annetaan suosituksia pelisivistykselliseen pelikasvatukseen, jossa huomioidaan sekä nuorten pelaajien että pelaamisen monimuotoisuus ja korostetaan nuorten toimijuutta.

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... Gaming-specific media education with the goal of increasing 385 parents' game and gaming literacy (e.g. Klimmt, 2009;Meriläinen, 2020;Squire, 2005) has been suggested as a way to 386 address this (Meriläinen, 2020;Schott, 2010), an argument that finds support in this study (see also Madill, 2011). ...
... Gaming-specific media education with the goal of increasing 385 parents' game and gaming literacy (e.g. Klimmt, 2009;Meriläinen, 2020;Squire, 2005) has been suggested as a way to 386 address this (Meriläinen, 2020;Schott, 2010), an argument that finds support in this study (see also Madill, 2011). ...
... 269While there is considerable variation between individuals, moderate gaming has been associated with better school 270 performance in Finnish youth(Meriläinen, 2020).271 Parents appeared to become more accommodating of gaming as children matured, an observation in line with previous 272 research (e.g. ...
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... Olemme ehdottomasti samaa mieltä Lasse Siuralan kanssa siitä, että myös haittojen ja ongelmien tarkastelu kuuluu pelien tutkimukseen ja pelaamista käsittelevään kasvatukseen (esim. Meriläinen 2020). Samalla kuitenkin ihmettelemme katsausartikkelin otsikkoon asti nostettua tarpeetonta antagonismia, emmekä tunnista tutkimukseemme liitettyä pelihaitat kieltävää systemaattista pelaamisen positiivisuuden puolustamista tai ajatusvinoumaa. ...
... Tulkintojen osapuolet asemoituvat digitaalisen median puolustajiksi tai sen kontrolloimisen edustajiksi. Digipelaamisen puolustajat vastustavat 'huolipuhetta', 'moraalista paniikkia', 'demonisointia' tai 'sosiaalista stigmaa', joilla tarkoitetaan perusteettomaksi määriteltyä puhetta pelaamisen haittavaikutuksista, varsinkin digipeliriippuvuudesta (Meriläinen 2020;Räsänen 2022;Meriläinen & Ruotsalainen 2023). ...
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... Nettiin on syntynyt alakulttuureita, jotka saattavat näyttäytyä perinteisen valtajärjestelmän näkökulmasta vierailta ja joskus myös pelottavilta. Nuorten tietokonepelaaminen on esimerkki toiminnasta, johon liittyy erilaisia stigmoja (Meriläinen 2020). Erityisesti suosittujen taistelupelien koetaan vahingoittavan nuorten mieliä ja antavan haitallisia käyttäytymismalleja myös tosielämän konfliktitilanteisiin (Jalonen 2019b). ...
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Nuorisotutkimusverkosto Nuorisotutkimusseura ISBN 978-952-7175-35-4 ISSN 1799-9219 Kl 79.1 Nuorisotutkimusverkosto MARKKU VANTTAJA, JUHANI TÄHTINEN, TUOMAS ZACHEUS & PASI KOSKI170AbstractTRACKING OF INACTIVITY. LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON THE CHANGES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP (PAR) AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VERY ACTIVE Markku Vanttaja, Juhani Tähtinen, Tuomas Zacheus & Pasi Koski This study examines changes in physical activity and physical activity re-lationship (PAR), and also meanings and personal experiences of physical exercise based on surveys on the same children and young people from Turku carried out at two di erent times (in the years 2003 and 2013) and on biographical interviews on young people (8 individuals) who are not very active. The main focus of attention is on the young people who are not very active, but the study also examines issues and factors regarding the physical activity and PAR among more physically active young people. In total 2,032 children and young people from Turku responded to the survey and 689 (response rate 35%) of these responded to the follow-up survey in 2013.The survey placed the young people into different groups according to their physical activeness, and asked what changes had taken place in physical activity over the decade, which factors had weakened or strengthened interest in physical exercise, and also what kinds of experiences with physical exercise the young people who were not very active had at different stages of their lives and how these experiences had changed their PAR. In contrast with previous interpretations regarding socialisation of physical activity, the study highlights susceptibility to change rather than constancy as a characteristic of children’s and young people’s physical activeness. Both the less and more active individuals experienced changes in physical activeness throughout life. Of those who were not very active in 2003, only one- fifth of the pre-school aged children and one-quarter of the school aged children were placed in the group of those who were not very active in the 2013 survey. Therefore, according to the results, a low level of physical activity as a child and during the early years of adolescence is not as likely to continue later on in life as one may assume on the basis of previous studies. However, one must be careful when generalising the results, as the share of individuals who are not very active, particularly in the older age group, was rather small in this study. The key factors responsible for children’s and young people’s interest in physical exercise were most frequently friends, sports clubs and parents. For those who were not very active, these parties had much less influence than they did for those who were more physically active. Though the majority of young people had a positive attitude to physical education at school, very few felt that the school and physical education teachers had had a very significant impact on their interest in physical exercise. There were also clear differences in attitude to physical education among the groups of individuals with different levels of physical activeness: a much larger share of those who were not very active had a negative attitude to physical education compared with those who were more physically active. Around one-quarter of young adults who were not very active had such bad experiences at school and of physical education teachers that they felt that these had distanced them from physical activity. Also in the biographical material, many young people had strong negative memories of physical education. However, it is worth mentioning that the teenagers’ experience of and attitude to physical education in 2013 were far more positive than they were among the young people of the same age in 2003. One explanation for the big difference in attitude to physical education among the two age groups could be the recent developments in physical education. In both age groups and in all physical activeness groups, the most important reasons for doing physical exercise were related to health and fitness, relaxation and enjoyment and social factors. However, these factors were less important for those who were not very active. Based on the study, the key reasons for doing physical exercise seem typically to remain the same from childhood until an older age. According to the survey, teenagers and young adults who were not very active rarely exercised because they felt they were lazy with respect to physical exercise, they did not like the competitive aspect of physical exercise and they had not found a suitable form of exercise. The difficulty finding a suitable form of exercise was, above all, one of the most typical reasons preventing teenagers from being more physically active. However, young adults mentioned lack of time as the reason for their lack of physical activity far more frequently than the teenagers. In addition to these above-mentioned four main reasons, other reasons mentioned frequently in both age groups were unpleasant experiences related to physical exercise and lack of enjoyment of physical activity and exercise. Both the factors motivating and the factors preventing people from doing physical exercise had a tendency to stack up. The more physically active a respondent was the more likely it was that there were several motivating factors. Correspondingly, various factors that prevented and made it more difficult to do physical exercise also often stacked up for people who were not very active. The stacking up of factors preventing someone from being physically active was related to poor self-image regarding physical exercise, lack of interest in physical activity and a general lack of appreciation of physical exercise, among other things. The biographical interviews of young people who were not very active often highlighted very similar reasons for lack of physical activity as the survey material. The young people’s accounts also showed that ending a physical activity hobby and changes in attitude to physical exercise took place at different ages and turning points in life for different people. Factors related to ending a physical activity hobby or a reduction in physical activity were also very different for different individuals and the same person could have several different factors in their life history that had an impact on the matter. Based on the young people’s accounts, experiences of physical exercise after early childhood at school and sports clubs were particularly important for the development of a positive relationship with physical exercise and strong physically active identity. For example, the young people in sports clubs said in their interviews that the excessive competitiveness reduced their enthusiasm for the physical activity and for many this was one of the main reasons for no longer wanting to do this hobby. The accounts also indicated that even very similar situations related to physical activity can be experienced in very different ways, and different experiences can change the physical activity identity and attitude to physical exercise. If we want to increase the physical activeness of people who are physically inactive, we should plan ways to increase activity by taking into account these individuals’ very different life histories and changes in their life situations.
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Background The need for a better understanding of the risk factors underpinning disordered gaming has been consistently emphasized. Although, gaming may offer a simple and straightforward means of alleviating distress, relying on gaming to address one's unmet psychological needs could invite problematic usage. Self-determination theory highlights the significance of three universally inherent psychological needs for relatedness, competency, and autonomy. A motivation to engage in gaming may be to address unmet needs and may become problematic. Objective This study aimed to assess whether experienced levels of loneliness, depression and self-esteem mediate the association between Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) behaviours and Need-Fulfilment deficits. Method The participants comprised of 149 adults (83 males, 66 females), aged between 18 and 62 years. A series of self-reported questionaries assessing their levels of IGD behaviours, depression, loneliness, self-esteem and need-fulfilment were completed. Results Need-fulfilment deficits were linked to higher IGD behaviours. Interestingly, this association was mediated by the reported levels of self-esteem and depression and not loneliness. Conclusions The findings lend further empirical support for the mediating role of psychological distress between need fulfilment deficits and IGD behaviours.
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Objectives: Open and supportive communication between parents and children is known to reduce adolescents' delinquent behavior. Recently, risk of Internet gaming addiction is increasing in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of parent - child communication methods on the relationship between adolescent aggressiveness and risk of Internet gaming addiction. Methods: Participants of this study were 402 the 1st grade students from four junior high schools in Seoul who enrolled in the Internet user Cohort for Unbiased Recognition of gaming disorder in Early adolescence (iCURE) and completed baseline assessment in 2016. The structural equation model was constructed based on aggression questionnaire (AQ), the Internet Game Use-Elicited Symptom Screen (IGUESS), mother-child communication inventory (mPACI), and Father-child communication inventory (fPACI). Results: The results showed that adolescents' aggressiveness was related to risk of Internet gaming addiction. Father - child communication method mediated the relationship between aggression and risk of internet gaming addiction. However, mother - child communication method had no mediating effect. Conclusion: Our finding suggested that the father should make an effort to improve open and positive communication skill with their children, because father-child communication method played an important role in the relationship between adolescent aggressiveness and risk of internet gaming addiction.
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Twenty years since the Internet transformed gambling products and services, the convergence of online games and gambling has initiated a new means of consuming Internet-based media. Gambling specifically connected to eSports is a significant development, not only offering a new avenue for existing gambling products to be inserted into gaming media but also affording several novel experiences (e.g. skins and loot boxes). This study assesses participation rates and demographic characteristics of eSports spectators who gamble via an international online survey (N = 582). The sample highlighted the prevalence of young, often under-age, males in eSports-related gambling activities. Participation in gambling, and gambling-like activities, was found to be 67%, with rates of problematic and potentially problematic gambling in the sample being 50.34%. Finally, increased gambling is associated with increased spectating of eSports. Although the results are not generalisable to the wider population, they suggest a need for increased attention, from academia and regulators, regarding newly emergent gambling behaviours in contemporary digital culture.
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Background. Taking Klabbers’ call for a coherent game science as a starting point, we argue for an alternative way to approach the multidisciplinarity of research into games. Aim. Building on game studies and design research, this article reviews the history and forecasts the future of studying games. Application. All scholars of games could benefit from an awareness of the works of other game scholars in different traditions. The plurality of approaches towards games is an intellectual strength, even if it is difficult for a single scholar to maintain a holistic grasp on research relating to ‘games’. The multitude not only describes the disciplinary traditions reflecting the wider phenomenon of games and play, but also games as creative practice. Demonstration. While the article is theoretical in nature, we use real-world examples to illustrate and ground the argumentation. For example, a key challenge identified here is that the realm of games and their influence, the ludosphere, is expanding too rapidly for any single researcher to keep up with it. Conclusions. We invite game scholars to cultivate a stronger awareness of the multitude of research into games to better position their own work in a larger context.
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Background: Games and elements of gamification can be utilized in mental healthcare to provide customized interventions for the service users. However, very little evidence exists as to what kind of experiences service users and professionals have towards games and gaming, and what their perceptions of the phenomenon are. This sort of information is needed to help professionals put game-based interventions actively into practice in mental health services. Research objectives: The objective is to describe the experiences and perceptions of digital games and gaming from the perspectives of mental health service users and mental health professionals. Methods: In this qualitative study, data consisted of interviews of 23 mental health service users and professionals working in the mental health field. We conducted altogether 39 interviews. Sixteen of the participants were interviewed twice. Main categories and subcategories were identified using qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed four distinct orientations towards games and gaming: (a) compulsive gaming; (b) closet gaming; (c) gaming as a hobby; and (d) late bloomers. Each group was characterized by different personal histories, experiences, conceptions and attitudes regarding gaming and digital games. Conclusion: When attempting to implement a game-based intervention in mental health services, it is essential to recognize the different attitudes that both service users and staff exhibit concerning games and gaming. The attitudes of service users and professionals described in this study can be utilized in the implementation of game-based methods as part of care and rehabilitation in mental health services.
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Video game researchers have struggled to capture players’ personal experiences in natural gaming contexts. We used longitudinal diary methods to examine the everyday experiences of new and experienced players within a massively multiplayer online game, Team Fortress 2. Participants (N = 38) completed diaries about gameplay and negative social interactions such as trash-talking and harassment. Themes included frustrating play and performance as motivator, as well as six themes regarding social interaction: skill disparagement, fairweather friends, toxic masculinity, vicious cycles, “kicking” players, and reporting differences. Some findings supported existing research; others challenge previous research using other methods. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using diary methods in video game research.
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It is a widespread concern that violent video games promote aggression, reduce pro-social behaviour, increase impulsivity and interfere with cognition as well as mood in its players. Previous experimental studies have focussed on short-term effects of violent video gameplay on aggression, yet there are reasons to believe that these effects are mostly the result of priming. In contrast, the present study is the first to investigate the effects of long-term violent video gameplay using a large battery of tests spanning questionnaires, behavioural measures of aggression, sexist attitudes, empathy and interpersonal competencies, impulsivity-related constructs (such as sensation seeking, boredom proneness, risk taking, delay discounting), mental health (depressivity, anxiety) as well as executive control functions, before and after 2 months of gameplay. Our participants played the violent video game Grand Theft Auto V, the non-violent video game The Sims 3 or no game at all for 2 months on a daily basis. No significant changes were observed, neither when comparing the group playing a violent video game to a group playing a non-violent game, nor to a passive control group. Also, no effects were observed between baseline and posttest directly after the intervention, nor between baseline and a follow-up assessment 2 months after the intervention period had ended. The present results thus provide strong evidence against the frequently debated negative effects of playing violent video games in adults and will therefore help to communicate a more realistic scientific perspective on the effects of violent video gaming.
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Although empirical studies have indicated that parents have an important role in preventing Internet gaming disorder in adolescents, longitudinal research on the parental predictors of Internet gaming disorder is lacking. We used a three-wave cross-lagged panel model to explore the reciprocal association between parental monitoring and Internet gaming disorder, and examined the different impacts of mother– and father–child relationships on this association. A sample of 1490 adolescents aged 10–15 years (M = 12.03, SD = 1.59; 45.4% female) completed assessments at all three points. The cross-lagged model revealed that (a) parental monitoring at T1 predicted lower Internet gaming disorder at T2, and greater Internet gaming disorder at T2 predicted lower parental monitoring at T3; (b) father–child relationship had a reciprocal, indirect effect on the relationship between parental monitoring and Internet gaming disorder, while mother–child relationship did not. These findings suggest that the parental effects (e.g., higher parental monitoring and better father–child relationship) might play a vital role in preventing Internet gaming disorder in adolescents.
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Research on gaming effects has focused on adolescence, a developmental period in which peer relationships become increasingly salient. However, the impact of peers on the effects of violent gaming on adolescents has been understudied. This study examined whether adolescents’ exposure to violent video games predicted their own and their friend's aggression one year later. Among 705 gaming adolescents, 141 dyads were identified based on reciprocated best friend nominations (73.8% male, Mage = 13.98). Actor-Partner Interdependence Models indicated that adolescent males’ (but not females’) exposure to violent games positively predicted the aggression of their best friend 1 year later. This effect appeared regardless of whether the friends played video games together or not. The study illustrates the importance of peers in the association between violent gaming and aggression.
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Based on an evidence-focused literature review, the first part of this paper examines existing knowledge on how the time children spend using digital technology impacts their well-being across three dimensions; mental/psychological, social and physical. The evidence reviewed here is largely inconclusive with respect to impact on children’s physical activity, but indicates that digital technology seems to be beneficial for children’s social relationships. In terms of impact on children’s mental well-being, the most robust studies suggest that the relationship is U-shaped, where no use and excessive use can have a small negative impact on mental well-being, while moderate use can have a small positive impact. In the second part of the paper, the hypothetical idea of addiction to technology is introduced and scrutinized. This is followed by an overview of the hypothetical idea that digital technology might re-wire or hijack children’s brains; an assumption that is challenged by recent neuroscience evidence. In conclusion, considerable methodological limitations exist across the spectrum of research on the impact of digital technology on child well-being, including the majority of the studies on time use reviewed here, and those studies concerned with clinical or brain impacts. This prompts reconsideration of how research in this area is conducted. Finally, recommendations for strengthening research practices are offered.
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Violent video game exposure has been shown to increase aggression in the player. The present research examines the idea that violent video game play does not only have an impact on the player, but also on the player's social network. In fact, egocentric social networking analyses showed that playing violent video games is associated with increased aggression, which then spreads among connected individuals. Even participants that do not play violent video games themselves reported more aggression when their social network consists of individuals who do play violent video games. Psychologists and the public alike have been concerned that violent video game exposure has the potential to increase aggression on a societal level. As the present study shows, not only players of violent video games but also their social network may contribute to this phenomenon.
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The American Psychiatric Association has identified Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) as a potential psychiatric condition and called for research to investigate its etiology, stability, and impacts on health and behavior. The present study recruited 5,777 American adults and applied self-determination theory to examine how motivational factors influence, and are influenced by, IGD and health across a six month period. Following a preregistered analysis plan, results confirmed our hypotheses that IGD criteria are moderately stable and that they and basic psychological need satisfaction have a reciprocal relationship over time. Results also showed need satisfaction promoted health and served as a protective factor against IGD. Contrary to what was hypothesized, results provided no evidence directly linking IGD to health over time. Exploratory analyses suggested that IGD may have indirect effects on health by way of its impact on basic needs. Implications are discussed in terms of existing gaming addiction and motivational frameworks.
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Violent video game playing has been linked to a wide range of negative outcomes, especially in adolescents. In the present research, we focused on a potential determinant of adolescents’ willingness to play violent video games: social exclusion. We also tested whether exclusion can predict increased aggressiveness following violent video game playing. In two experiments, we predicted that exclusion could increase adolescents’ preferences for violent video games and interact with violent game playing fostering adolescents’ aggressive inclinations. In Study 1, 121 adolescents (aged 10-18 years) were randomly assigned to a manipulation of social exclusion. Then, they evaluated the violent content of nine different video games (violent, nonviolent, or prosocial) and reported their willingness to play each presented video game. The results showed that excluded participants expressed a greater willingness to play violent games than nonviolent or prosocial games. No such effect was found for included participants. In Study 2, both inclusionary status and video game contents were manipulated. After a manipulation of inclusionary status, 113 adolescents (aged 11-16 years) were randomly assigned to play either a violent or a nonviolent video game. Then, they were given an opportunity to express their aggressive inclinations towards the excluders. Results showed that excluded participants who played a violent game displayed the highest level of aggressive inclinations than participants who were assigned to the other experimental conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that exclusion increases preferences for violent games and that the combination of exclusion and violent game playing fuels aggressive inclinations.
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Viime vuosina toteutetut opetussuunnitelmauudistukset (Opetushallitus 2014a, 2104b, 2015, 2016) ovat tuoneet kotimaiselle koulutuskentälle koko joukon uusia käsitteitä. Yksi keskeisimmistä, mutta samalla vaikeimmin hahmotettavista käsitteistä on monilukutaito. Tässä artikkelissa pyrin jäsentämään monilukutaitoa tarkastelemalla sitä erityisesti opettajuuden näkökulmasta. Artikkelin aluksi vertaan suomalaista monilukutaitokäsitettä kansainvälisiin määritelmiin. Sen jälkeen tarkennan näkökulman situationaalisiin lukutaitoihin (situated literacy) ja käsittelen lukutaitojen suhdetta laajempiin kasvatuksellisiin päämääriin.
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Background The recent paper by Aarseth et al. (2016) questioned whether problematic gaming should be considered a new disorder particularly because “Gaming Disorder” (GD) has been identified as a disorder to be included in the next (11th) revision of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Methods This study uses contemporary literature to argue why GD should be included in the ICD-11. Results Aarseth and colleagues acknowledge that there is much literature (including papers by some of the authors themselves) that some individuals experience serious problems with video gaming. How can such an activity be seriously problematic yet not disordered? Similar to other addictions, gaming addiction is relatively rare and is in essence a syndrome (i.e., a condition or disorder characterized by a set of associated symptoms that tend to occur under specific circumstances). Consequently, not everyone will exhibit exactly the same set of symptoms and consequences, and this partly explains why those working in the problematic gaming field often disagree on symptomatology. Conclusions Research into gaming is not about pathologizing healthy entertainment, but about pathologizing excessive and problematic behaviors that cause significant psychological distress and impairment in an individual’s life. These are two related, but (ultimately) very distinct phenomena. While being aware that gaming is a pastime activity which is enjoyed non-problematically by many millions of individuals worldwide, it is concluded that problematic gaming exists and that it is an example of disordered gaming.
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This paper is a response to a recent debate paper in which Aarseth et al. argue that the inclusion of a formal diagnosis and categories for problematic video gaming or Gaming Disorder (GD) in the World Health Organization's 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) is premature and therefore the proposal should be removed. The present authors systematically address all the six main arguments presented by Aarseth et al. and argue that, even though some of the concerns presented in the debate paper are legitimate, the inclusion of GD in ICD-11 has more advantages than disadvantages. Furthermore, the present authors also argue that the two GD subtypes ("GD, predominantly online" and "GD, predominantly offline") are unnecessary and rather problematic; the main category for GD would be perfectly sufficient.
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In November 2011, the Korean government legalized blocking access to online games for youths younger than age 16 late at night; this is called the shutdown policy. Using multiple regressions we examined how the compulsory block affected youths’ Internet hours and sleep duration. Data were drawn from the 2011, 2012 Korea Youth Behavior Risk Factor Survey, a cross-sectional online survey of middle and high school students aged 13–18 years. Legalizing a ban of online gaming late at night for youths caused an increase in the predicted probability of being in a high-ranked Internet user group by 1.6% point, a decrease in the predicted probability of Internet addiction by 0.7% point, and an increase in sleep duration of 1.5 minutes. All results showed a gender difference in the effect of the policy. Although the net effect of the shutdown policy was statistically significant, the small effect size, the partial effect on female youths, and the side effects related to human basic rights and inappropriate regulation of the game industry made the effectiveness of the policy arguable.
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Purpose This longitudinal study examined the role of leisure-time physical activity in academic achievement at the end of compulsory basic education and educational attainment in adulthood. Methods The data were drawn from the ongoing longitudinal Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, which was combined with register-based data from Statistics Finland. The study consisted of children who were 12 yr (n = 1723, 49% boys) and 15 yr (n = 2445, 48% boys) of age at the time when physical activity was measured. The children were followed up until 2010, when their mean age was 40 yr. Physical activity was self-reported and included several measurements: overall leisure-time physical activity outside school hours, participation in sports club training sessions, and participation in sports competitions. Individuals’ educational outcomes were measured with the self-reported grade point average at age 15 yr and register-based information on the years of completed postcompulsory education in adulthood. Ordinary least squares models and the instrumental variable approach were used to analyze the relationship between physical activity and educational outcomes. Results Physical activity in adolescence was positively associated with educational outcomes. Both the physical activity level at age 15 yr and an increase in the physical activity level between the ages of 12 and 15 yr were positively related to the grade point average at age 15 yr and the years of postcompulsory education in adulthood. The results were robust to the inclusion of several individual and family background factors, including health endowments, family income, and parents’ education. Conclusion The results provide evidence that physical activity in adolescence may not only predict academic success during compulsory basic education but also boost educational outcomes later in life.
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The effects of video games on children's psychosocial development remain the focus of debate. At two timepoints, 1 year apart, 194 children (7.27-11.43 years old; male = 98) reported their gaming frequency, and their tendencies to play violent video games, and to game (a) cooperatively and (b) competitively; likewise, parents reported their children's psychosocial health. Gaming at time one was associated with increases in emotion problems. Violent gaming was not associated with psychosocial changes. Cooperative gaming was not associated with changes in prosocial behavior. Finally, competitive gaming was associated with decreases in prosocial behavior, but only among children who played video games with high frequency. Thus, gaming frequency was related to increases in internalizing but not externalizing, attention, or peer problems, violent gaming was not associated with increases in externalizing problems, and for children playing approximately 8 h or more per week, frequent competitive gaming may be a risk factor for decreasing prosocial behavior. We argue that replication is needed and that future research should better distinguish between different forms of gaming for more nuanced and generalizable insight.
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Following the recent changes to the diagnostic category for addictive disorders in DSM-5, it is urgent to clarify what constitutes behavioural addiction to have a clear direction for future research and classification. However, in the years following the release of DSM-5, an expanding body of research has increasingly classified engagement in a wide range ofcommonbehavioursandleisureactivitiesaspossiblebehaviouraladdiction.Ifthisexpansiondoesnotend,boththerelevanceandthecredibilityofthe fieldofaddictivedisordersmightbequestioned,whichmaypromptadismissiveappraisal of the new DSM-5 subcategory for behavioural addiction. We propose an operational definition of behavioural addiction together with a number of exclusion criteria, to avoid pathologizing common behaviours and provide a common ground for further research. The definition and its exclusion criteria are clarified and justified by illustrating how these address a number of theoretical and methodological shortcomings that result from existing conceptualizations. We invite other researchers to extend our definition under an Open Science Foundation framework
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In this study, we examine digital game preferences by identifying game dynamics, i.e. player–game interaction modes, of 700 contemporary digital games, and players' (N = 1717) desire to play games with specific types of dynamics. Based on statistical analysis of the data, 5 game dynamics preference categories (“assault,” “manage,” “journey,” “care,” and “coordinate”) and 7 player types were revealed. The results show that identifying player types requires including both preferred and undesired game dynamics categories in the analysis. The findings unveil digital gaming as a more multifaceted phenomenon than common stereotypes suggest. The original game preferences model we present in this study can be conceptualized as a complementary approach for motivations to play and player behavior studies.
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Tutkimus tarkastelee syrjäytyneiden tai syrjäytymisvaarassa olevien nuorten toimijuuden rakentumista aikuisuuden kynnyksellä. Tutkimuksen lähtökohtana on, että nuoruus on elämänvaihe, johon kytkeytyy monia myöhempään elämänkulkuun vaikuttavia valintoja ja ratkaisuja, kuten irrottautuminen lapsuudenkodista ja itsenäisen asumisen aloittaminen, taloudellisen riippumattomuuden hankkiminen, koulutus- ja työurasta päättäminen sekä perheen perustaminen. Nuoruuteen kuuluu olennaisesti autonomian ja paikan löytäminen aikuisten maailmasta ja sen sosiaalisesta järjestyksestä. Tätä tutkimusta motivoi huomio siitä, että mikäli nuori epäonnistuu näissä tavoitteissa, hänet helposti luokitellaan ei-aikuiseksi, ja hän samalla pettää yhteiskunnan ikä- ja elämänvaiheisiin liittyvät odotukset. Nuori jää täysivaltaisen kansalaisuuden ulkopuolelle. Erityisen haastavaksi aikuistuminen muodostuu haavoittavissa oloissa eläville nuorille, jotka eivät koe olevansa valmiita tai kykeneviä tekemään elämäänsä koskevia päätöksiä. Valinnat saattavat myös kohdistua vaihtoehtoihin, jotka ovat nuoren kannalta epätyydyttäviä tai vaikeasti hahmotettavia. Tutkimus lähestyy nuoren toimijuutta relationaalisesta näkökulmasta korostaen näin toimijuuden sosiaalista ja kontekstuaalista lähtökohtaa yksilökeskeisen sijaan. Relationaalisuuden näkökulmasta käsin nähtynä autonominen toimijuus rakentuu ihmisten välisissä suhteissa ja syvissä keskinäisissä riippuvuuksissa. Yksilöllisyyden ja riippumattomuuden painottaminen voikin johtaa itse toimijan kannalta yksinäisyyden ja epävarmuuden kokemuksiin sekä elämän suorittamiseen ilman todellista sisältöä. Myös auttamistyössä on tärkeää huomioida, että ihmisten ja erityisesti nuorten hyvinvointi riippuu merkittävässä määrin yksilöiden kyvystä liittyä toisiin ihmisiin. Suhteiden puuttuminen ja yksinäisyys leimaavat monen syrjäytyneen ja vähäosaisen elämää. Relationaalisuus on erityisen ilmeistä silloin, kun suhteita ei ole. Tämän konstruktionistiseen tieteenfilosofiaan sekä narratiiviseen tutkimusperinteeseen kytkeytyvän tutkimuksen kontekstina on etsivä työ sekä laajemmin käsitettynä se palveluverkosto, jossa nuoria pyritään auttamaan. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu vuonna 2001 kerätyistä katutyöhön liittyvistä asiakirjoista ja työryhmän kehittämispäivien taltioinneista sekä vuosina 2010–2011 tehdyistä etsivässä työssä kohdattujen nuorten haastatteluista, työryhmän fokusryhmäkeskusteluista sekä asiointikäyntien nauhoituksista. Tutkimukseen kuuluvissa neljässä tieteellisessä artikkelissa on hyödynnetty sisällönanalyysia sekä narratiivista metodia (voicecentered relational method), joiden avulla on analysoitu kontrollin, autonomisen toimijuuden rakentumisen sekä nuorten täytymisen teemoja. Artikkeleista ensimmäinen käsittelee etsivään työhön liittyviä kontrollin elementtejä. Toimijuuden teema ja siihen kytkeytyvä relationaalisuus läpäisevät kolmea seuraavaa artikkelia. Toisessa ja kolmannessa artikkelissa tutkitaan nuorten autonomisen toimijuuden rakentumista, ensiksi jännitteisissä auttamis- ja viranomaistyön kohtaamisissa ja sen jälkeen itsenäisen asumisen haasteiden näkökulmasta. Neljännessä artikkelissa jäsennetään nuorten toimijuuden rakentumista kulttuuristen odotusten ja erityisesti nuorten täytymisen näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksen yhteenvetoluvussa on artikkeleiden tulosten pohjalta vastattu kahteen tutkimuskysymykseen: miten nuorten autonominen toimijuus rakentuu sosiaalisen kontrollin, ammatillisen tukemisen ja nuorten täytymisen jännitteissä sekä miten relationaalisuus kytkeytyy osaksi nuorten autonomisen toimijuuden rakentumista? Tutkimustuloksista ilmenee, että erityisesti syrjäytyneiden ja syrjäytymisvaarassa olevien nuorten toimijuuden rakentumista kehystävät erilaiset yhteiskunnalliset rakenteet ja palvelujärjestelmät. Autonomisimmankin yksilön ”täytyy” ja häneen kohdistetaan niin yhteiskunnallista kuin sosiaalisten suhteiden mukanaan tuomaa kontrollia. Niin kontrolli kuin kulttuurisesti määrittynyt täytyminenkin voidaan määritellä tekijöiksi, jotka ilmaisevat vapaudesta ja valinnoista muodostuvan toimijuuden rajat. Syrjäytyneet ja syrjäytymisvaarassa olevat nuoret joutuvat auttamistyön piirissä ollessaan neuvottelemaan useiden yhteiskunnallisten toimijoiden kanssa oman autonomiansa ja valinnanmahdollisuuksiensa rajoista sekä vastaamaan vahvemman toimijuuden odotukseen. Nuorten kokemus toimijuudestaan sekä paikastaan maailmassa riippuu osaltaan sosiaalisista kiinnikkeistä, suhteista sekä erilaisista resursseista, joita heillä on käytössään. Etsivässä työssä kohdattavien nuorten toimijuuden vahvistamisessa tarvitaan pitkäaikaista kumppanuutta ja tukea, jotta haastava ja täytymisen raamittama siirtymä aikuisuuteen onnistuisi. Etsivän työn vuorovaikutus, osapuolten kohtaaminen tai kohtaamattomuus on merkityksellistä. Auttamistyön toimijoilla on valtaa ulottua syvälle nuorten elämään, vaikuttaa heidän käsityksiinsä omasta itsestään ja merkityksestään. Ulkoapäin tulevat pakot tai ilman nuoren osallisuutta tehdyt ratkaisut eivät lisää nuoren itseymmärrystä tai autonomista toimijuutta, jotka kuitenkin ovat merkittäviä hyvän elämän määrityksiä, käsitettiinpä hyvä elämä sitten miten tahansa.
Article
Recent developments in digital games technology, economy, and content have further expanded the popularity of the medium. At the same time, requirements for competent gaming or digital game literacy need to be reconsidered in the light of the rapid evolution of digital games. The paper outlines three important dimensions of contemporary video game literacy: (1) Resilience against effects of game content on automatic cognition (such as stereotypes and aggressive thinking), (2) the ability to cope with social affordances of multiplayer games, and (3) the ability to manage inertia processes in playing motivation that result in a perceived risk of losing investments of time and effort when deciding against playing. Finally, the importance to substantiate game literacy concepts with scientific theory and empirical research is articulated.
Article
This study was conducted to investigate the psychometric properties of the Finnish version of the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10), identify the proportion displaying problematic gaming behavior (PGB) among Finnish vocational school students, and characterize the relationships between sociodemographic factors and gaming characteristics predicting PGB in this population. This cross-sectional study involving 773 students (mean age 17.5 years). Measures: Socio-demographic and gaming behavior characteristics were established using a web-based survey. Results: A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the IGDT-10 test has appropriate psychometric properties. The proportion of students exhibiting PGB based on the DSM-5 cut-off threshold was 1.3%. Regression analysis showed that male gender, preference for gaming on a personal computer, gaming time, poor self-perceived health status, and a preference for the solo and multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA) game genres related positively to PGB scores. These findings demonstrate the appropriateness of the IGDT-10 test for the assessment of problematic gaming among adults, and support further research on PGB in Finland.
Article
To clarify and quantify the influence of video game violence (VGV) on aggressive behavior, we conducted a metaanalysis of all prospective studies to date that assessed the relation between exposure to VGV and subsequent overt physical aggression. The search strategy identified 24 studies with over 17,000 participants and time lags ranging from 3 months to 4 years. The samples comprised various nationalities and ethnicities with mean ages from 9 to 19 years. For each study we obtained the standardized regression coefficient for the prospective effect of VGV on subsequent aggression, controlling for baseline aggression. VGV was related to aggression using both fixed [β = 0.113, 95% CI = (0.098, 0.128)] and random effects models [β = 0.106 (0.078, 0.134)]. When all available covariates were included, the size of the effect remained significant for both models [β = 0.080 (0.065, 0.094) and β = 0.078 (0.053, 0.102), respectively]. No evidence of publication bias was found. Ethnicity was a statistically significant moderator for the fixed-effects models (P ≤ 0.011) but not for the random-effects models. Stratified analyses indicated the effect was largest among Whites, intermediate among Asians, and nonsignificant among Hispanics. Discussion focuses on the implications of such findings for current debates regarding the effects of violent video games on physical aggression.
Article
Research has revealed that the push to engage in video games is in part the perception that they satisfy three basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy, relatedness). However, the pull toward a problematic style of video game engagement based on Internet Gaming Disorder symptomatology has been found to be explained in part by the daily frustration of these same needs. Currently, these two areas of gaming research have been conducted within separate studies. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to bridge these two theoretically compatible areas of research in exploring the interaction between gaming need satisfaction and daily need frustration in explaining problem video game use and gaming frequency. An online sample of 922 adults (59.1% males; Mage = 23.53 years; SD = 6.84) were recruited. Results revealed both gaming need satisfaction and daily need frustration positively contributed to gaming frequency and problem video game use accounting for 19.7% and 23.5% of their respective variances. Furthermore, gaming frequency and problem video game use were highest when both gaming need satisfaction and daily need frustration were high. The implications of these results are discussed within the context of current research and strengths-based clinical approaches.
Article
Studies have shown that children frequently experiencing poor parent-child interaction are prone to video gaming-related problems, but it is unclear which specific aspects of such an interaction play a predictive role in the problems. To extend previous research that relies primarily on the self-report method to assess parent-child interaction, we conducted a longitudinal, mixed-methods study. In a laboratory setting, three major aspects of interaction (i.e., affectivity, cohesiveness, and parental behavior) were observed in 241 parent-child dyads (Children: 43 percent female, age range = 8-15, Mage = 12.09, SDage = 1.41; Parents: 78 percent female, age range = 27-63, Mage = 44.44, SDage = 6.09). In addition, both parent and children participants completed questionnaires that measured children's symptoms of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and exposure to violent video games at baseline (Time 1) and 12 months later (Time 2). The results revealed that at Time 1, positive affectivity and cohesiveness were inversely associated with child-report symptoms of IGD. Also, Time 1 coerciveness (i.e., control dimension of parental behavior) was positively associated with Time 1 child-report exposure to violent video games and Time 2 child-report symptoms of IGD, respectively. Apart from main effects, the results also showed that Time 1 negative affectivity moderated the protective effects of Time 1 positive affectivity on Time 1 parent-report and Time 2 child-report exposure to violent video games, respectively. Overall, this study identifies various key aspects of parent-child interaction that may serve as concurrent or temporal predictors of video gaming-related issues.
Conference Paper
Retaining players over an extended period of time is a long-standing challenge in game industry. Significant effort has been paid to understanding what motivates players enjoy games. While individuals may have varying reasons to play or abandon a game at different stages within the game, previous studies have looked at the retention problem from a snapshot view. This study, by analyzing in-game logs of 51,104 distinct individuals in an online multiplayer game, uniquely offers a multifaceted view of the retention problem over the players' virtual life phases. We find that key indicators of longevity change with the game level. Achievement features are important for players at the initial to the advanced phases, yet social features become the most predictive of longevity once players reach the highest level offered by the game. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for designing online games that are adaptive to meeting the players' needs.
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This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the interplay between problematic gaming behaviour and health-related outcomes at different developmental stages. A total of 50 empirical studies met the specified inclusion criteria, and a meta-analysis using correlation coefficients was used for the studies that reported adverse health implications regarding the impact of problematic gaming behaviour on depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and somatisation. Overall, the results suggested that problematic gaming behaviour is significantly associated with a wide range of detrimental health-related outcomes. Finally, the limitations of this review alongside its implications were discussed and considered for future research.
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One of the key elements in many video games is competition. Based on Self-Determination and Flow theories, this paper explores the process through which competition makes a video game satisfying. A structural model that examines the impacts of Situational Competitiveness (manipulated via modes of competition) and Dispositional Competitiveness (as a personality trait) on gameplay experience is proposed and validated. The results show that the perception of video game competitiveness has a strong effect on Flow experience and Satisfaction. While an individual’s personality impacts the perception of a game’s competitiveness, this perception can also be influenced by the mode of competition.
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Research has established loneliness as a good predictor of intensive Internet use. But it is not fully understood whether Internet activity lessens lonely individuals' felt distress (known as positive psychosocial “compensation”), or by contrast further magnifies it (the “poor-get-poorer” hypothesis). Focused on online videogames in particular, we use qualitative cultural psychiatric interviews (N = 20) and path analysis of online survey data (N = 3629) to model pathways connecting loneliness, videogame involvement, and positive and negative online gaming experiences. Informed by social signaling theory, we hypothesize that lonely individuals who are intensively involved in online videogames (as opposed to playing casually) will experience more positive play experiences, given the way that such gamers’ costly expenditures of time, energy, and resources “signal” their commitment and also their insiderness to gaming communities, thus fostering for them a greater sense of social inclusion and support. By contrast, lonely gamers who fail to engage videogames in this intensive and socially supportive manner can instead compound their life distress with additional problems related to their online play. Ironically, it is thus gamers displaying dimensions of what seems on the surface to be “addictive” play—but is better described in this context as intensive gaming involvement—who experience the greatest psychosocial benefits from their play. Our research aims to add nuance to debates about how the Internet shapes the mental health of distressed emerging adults in particular. Rather than posing a single solution, we posit that the answer depends on the manner in which lonely and distressed individuals engage with life online.
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Background: Adolescence is a critical biological, psychological, and social developmental stage involving heightened risk for substance use and associated adverse consequences. This review, synthesizing emerging findings on this complex topic, is intended to inform research and clinical care focused on adolescents. Methods: Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, yielding a cross-section of observational and interventional studies focused on adolescent substance use. Findings were organized and categorized to cover key areas of epidemiology, neurobiology, prevention, and treatment. Findings: Adolescent substance-related attitudes and use patterns have evolved over time, informed by adult and peer behaviors, public policy, media messaging, substance availability, and other variables. A number of risk and resiliency factors contribute to individual differences in substance use and related consequences. Advances in observational techniques have provided enhanced understanding of adolescent brain development and its implications for substance use. Prevention efforts have yielded mixed results, and while a number of adolescent-targeted evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders have been developed, effect sizes are generally modest, indicating the need for further research to enhance prevention and treatment outcomes. Conclusions: Substance use in adolescence is heterogeneous, ranging from normative to pathological, and can lead to significant acute and long-term morbidity and mortality. Understanding risk and resiliency factors, underlying neurobiology, and optimal developmentally sensitive interventions is critical in addressing substance-associated problems in adolescence.
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Problems related to high levels of gaming and Internet usage are increasingly recognized as a potential public health burden across the developed world. The aim of this review was to present an international perspective on prevention strategies for Internet gaming disorder and related health conditions (e.g., Internet addiction), as well as hazardous gaming and Internet use. A systematic review of quantitative research evidence was conducted, followed by a search of governmental reports, policy and position statements, and health guidelines in the last decade. The regional scope included the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, China, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Prevention studies have mainly involved school-based programs to train healthier Internet use habits in adolescents. The efficacy of selective prevention is promising but warrants further empirical attention. On an international scale, the formal recognition of gaming or Internet use as a disorder or as having quantifiable harms at certain levels of usage has been foundational to developing structured prevention responses. The South Korean model, in particular, is an exemplar of a coordinated response to a public health threat, with extensive government initiatives and long-term strategic plans at all three levels of prevention (i.e., universal, selective, and indicated). Western regions, by comparison, are dominated by prevention approaches led by non-profit organizations and private enterprise. The future of prevention of gaming and Internet problems ultimately relies upon all stakeholders working collaboratively in the public interest, confronting the reality of the evidence base and developing practical, ethical, and sustainable countermeasures.
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Decades of research have shown that violent media exposure is one risk factor for aggression. This review presents findings from recent cross-sectional, experimental, and longitudinal studies, demonstrating the triangulation of evidence within the field. Importantly, this review also illustrates how media violence research has started to move away from merely establishing the existence of media effects and instead has begun to investigate the mechanisms underlying these effects and their limitations. Such studies range from investigations into cross-cultural differences to neurophysiological effects, and the interplay between media, individual, and contextual factors. Although violent media effects have been well-established for some time, they are not monolithic, and recent findings continue to shed light on the nuances and complexities of such effects.
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This paper argues that most video game enjoyment can be understood in terms of the type of feedback used, the rules set out by the game and the social elements of the game - concepts that have been identified as critical to video games. Self-determination theory (SDT) is used as a lens for understanding the mechanism by which these traits might lead to enjoyment. Specifically, the argument is that feedback, rules, and social elements of games will fulfill the dimensions of SDT - competence autonomy, and relatedness. Then, the dimensions of SDT will predict enjoyment. Participants were presented with a game that emphasized feedback, rules, or social elements. Games that emphasized flexible rules led to feelings of competence while games that emphasized social elements led to feelings of relatedness. Competence and elatedness then led to feelings of enjoyment. In doing so, this study identifies key elements of video games while illuminating ways to understand video game enjoyment.
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For decades, parenting has been characterized in terms of broad global styles, with authoritative parenting seen as most beneficial for children’s development. Concerns with greater sensitivity to cultural and contextual variations have led to greater specificity in defining parenting in terms of different parenting dimensions and greater consideration of the role of parenting beliefs in moderating links between parenting and adjustment. New research includes ‘domain-specific’ models that describe parents as flexibly deploying different practices depending on their goals, children’s needs, and the types of behaviors towards which parenting is directed. These trends are described, and directions for future research are discussed.