The Relationship between Game Addiction and Aggression among Adolescents with Mediating Role of Narcissism and Self-Control
,
Abstract
Objective: With the increase of game addiction, the problem of aggression as one of the most serious issues confronting today’s society is affecting the mental health of the young generation. While available research has clarified the relationship between game addiction and aggression, this research contributes to future literature through examining the mediating role of narcissism and self-control in this relationship.
Method: This study is a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational research conducted in 2023 on Malaysian adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Volunteer adolescents completed self-report questionnaires including the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire, Gaming Addiction Scale, Childhood Narcissism Scale, and Brief Self-Control Scale. All questionnaires were prepared through a Sojump link posted on social media platforms. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and path analysis were used for statistical analysis.
Results: N = 595 adolescents were participated in this survey. According to correlation analysis, there were significant positive correlations between game addiction and aggression (r = 0.777, P < 0.001), game addiction and narcissism (r = 0.785, P < 0.001) as well as a significant negative correlation between game addiction and self-control (r = -0.668, P < 0.001). Besides, narcissism and self-control could significantly partially mediate the relationship between game addiction and aggression. The mediation model discovered a significant path from game addiction to narcissism (β = 0.785, CI = [0.7692, 1.0293], P < 0.001) and from narcissism to aggression (β = 0.442, CI [0.7731, 1.7244], P < 0.001). The total effect of game addiction on aggression was found to be statistically significant (β = 0.777, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: The findings of this research reveal a captivating profile, indicating that specific psychological attributes such as aggression, self-control, and narcissistic tendencies might make certain individuals more susceptible to developing an addiction to online games.
1. Li S, Wu Z, Zhang Y, Xu M, Wang X, Ma X. Internet gaming disorder and aggression: A meta-analysis of teenagers and young adults. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1111889.
2. Fam JY. Prevalence of internet gaming disorder in adolescents: A meta-analysis across three decades. Scand J Psychol. 2018;59(5):524-31.
3. Aziz N, Nordin MJ, Abdulkadir SJ, Salih MMM. Digital addiction: systematic review of computer game addiction impact on adolescent physical health. Electronics. 2021;10(9):996.
4. Begum F, Uddin MK, Parmita P, Sultana M. Game Addiction Predicting Anger and Disruptive Behavior among Adolescents in Dhaka City. Dhaka University Journal of Psychology. 2019;41:71-9.
5. Di Blasi M, Giardina A, Coco GL, Giordano C, Billieux J, Schimmenti A. A compensatory model to understand dysfunctional personality traits in problematic gaming: The role of vulnerable narcissism. Pers Individ Dif. 2020;160:109921.
6. Amad S, Gray NS, Snowden RJ. Self-Esteem, Narcissism, and Aggression: Different Types of Self-Esteem Predict Different Types of Aggression. J Interpers Violence. 2021;36(23-24):Np13296-np313.
7. Quancai L, Meng C, Kunjie C. Social control and self-control: factors linking exposure to domestic violence and adolescents' Internet gaming addiction. Front Psychiatry. 2023;14:1245563.
8. Zashchirinskaia O, Isagulova E. Childhood Trauma as a Risk Factor for High Risk Behaviors in Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(1):65-71.
9. Zahrai K, Veer E, Ballantine PW, Peter de Vries H. Conceptualizing self-control on problematic social media use. AMJ. 2022;30(1):74-89.
10. Fatfouta R, Rogoza R, Brud PP, Rentzsch K. Too tempting to resist? Self-control moderates the relationship between narcissism and antisocial tendencies. J Res Pers. 2022;96:104156.
11. Addo PC, Fang J, Kulbo NB, Gumah B, Dagadu JC, Li L. Violent Video Games and Aggression Among Young Adults: The Moderating Effects of Adverse Environmental Factors. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2021;24(1):17-23.
12. Tang WY, Reer F, Quandt T. The interplay of gaming disorder, gaming motivations, and the dark triad. J Behav Addict. 2020;9(2):491-6.
13. Vega A, Cabello R, Megías-Robles A, Gómez-Leal R, Fernández-Berrocal P. Emotional Intelligence and Aggressive Behaviors in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2022;23(4):1173-83.
14. Mohammadi MR, Ahmadi N, Khaleghi A, Mostafavi SA, Kamali K, Rahgozar M, et al. Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Disorders in a National Survey of Iranian Children and Adolescents. Iran J Psychiatry. 2019;14(1):1-15.
15. Sohrabivafa M, Tosang MA, Molaei Zadeh SZ, Goodarzi E, Asadi ZS, Alikhani A, et al. Prevalence of Risky Behaviors and Related Factors among Students of Dezful. Iran J Psychiatry. 2017;12(3):188-93.
16. Kayan Ocakoğlu B, Kafalı HY, Ocakoğlu FT, Kardaş B, Kardaş Ö, Işık A, et al. Relations of Childhood Trauma and Emotional Dysregulation with Suicide Ideation and Suicidal Behaviour Severity in a Clinical Sample of Depressive Female Adolescents. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(4):443-54.
17. Gini G, Thornberg R, Bussey K, Angelini F, Pozzoli T. Longitudinal Links of Individual and Collective Morality with Adolescents' Peer Aggression. J Youth Adolesc. 2022;51(3):524-39.
18. Hayes NL, Lloyd-Richardson EE, Marsee MA. Correlates of relational and physical aggression among peers and dating partners in a College Sample. J Child Fam Stud. 2021;30(7):1697-711.
19. Le DT, Huynh SV, Vu TV, Dang-Thi NT, Nguyen-Duong BT, Duong KA, et al. Personality Traits and Aggressive Behavior in Vietnamese Adolescents. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023;16:1987-2003.
20. Heng CJ, Rabbani M. The Relationship between Gaming Addiction, Aggressive Behaviour and Narcissistic Personality Traits among University Students in Malaysia. Indian J Public Health Res Dev. 2020;11(5).
21. Ayadi N, Pireinaladin S, Shokri M, Dargahi S, Zarein F. Investigating the Mediating Role of Procrastination in the Relationship between Positive and Negative Perfectionism and Mobile Phone Addiction in Gifted Students. Iran J Psychiatry. 2021;16(1):30-55.
22. Liu Y, Wang Q, Jou M, Wang B, An Y, Li Z. Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the 7-item game addiction scale (GAS) among Chinese college students. BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):484.
23. Manapat PD, Edwards MC, MacKinnon DP, Poldrack RA, Marsch LA. A Psychometric Analysis of the Brief Self-Control Scale. Assessment. 2021;28(2):395-412.
24. Fung SF, Kong CYW, Huang Q. Evaluating the Dimensionality and Psychometric Properties of the Brief Self-Control Scale Amongst Chinese University Students. Front Psychol. 2019;10.
25. Thomaes S, Stegge H, Bushman BJ, Olthof T, Denissen J. Development and validation of the childhood narcissism scale. J Pers Assess. 2008;90(4):382-91.
26. Abd Ghani I, Rozubi NC. Content Validity and Reliability of Buss and Perry Aggressive Questionnaire (BPAQ) Inventory. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling. 2020;5(37):297-303.
27. Maxwell JP. Development and preliminary validation of a Chinese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire in a population of Hong Kong Chinese. J Pers Assess. 2007;88(3):284-94.
28. Caner N, Evgin D. Digital risks and adolescents: The relationships between digital game addiction, emotional eating, and aggression. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2021;30(6):1599-609.
29. T'Ng S T, Ho KH, Sim DE, Yu CH, Wong PY. The mediating effect of Internet gaming disorder's symptoms on loneliness and aggression among undergraduate students and working adults in Malaysia. Psych J. 2020;9(1):96-107.
30. Dowsett A, Jackson M. The effect of violence and competition within video games on aggression. Comput Human Behav. 2019;99:22-7.
31. Yilmaz R, Sulak S, Griffiths MD, Yilmaz FGK. An exploratory examination of the relationship between internet gaming disorder, smartphone addiction, social appearance anxiety and aggression among undergraduate students. J Affect Disord Rep. 2023;11:100483.
32. Zandi Payam A, Mirzaeidoostan Z. Online game addiction relationship with cognitive distortion, parenting style, and narcissistic personality traits in students. Iran J Psychiatry Clin Psychol. 2019;25(1):72-83.
33. Nawaz MW, Nadeem T, Rao SL, Fatima T, Shoaib S. Impact of PUBG game addiction on social isolation and narcissistic tendencies among gamers. AJSSMS. 2020;7(3):166-72.
34. Çevik O, Koçak O, Younis MZ, Çevik E. The Mediating Role of Gaming Disorder in the Effect of Narcissism on Happiness in Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(13).
35. Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ. The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2021;147(5):477-503.
36. Afriwilda M, Wibowo ME. Craving For Game Online Game Addiction And Its Association With Self-Control On High School Students. EJPR Vol. 2020;7(2).
37. Jeong H, Yim HW, Lee SY, Lee HK, Potenza MN, Jo SJ, et al. Low self-control and aggression exert serial mediation between inattention/hyperactivity problems and severity of internet gaming disorder features longitudinally among adolescents. J Behav Addict. 2020;9(2):401-9.
38. Chang E, Kim B. School and individual factors on game addiction: A multilevel analysis. Int J Psychol. 2020;55(5):822-31.
39. Azami MS, Taremian F. Risk Factors Associated with Cyberbullying, Cybervictimization, and Cyberbullying-Victimization in Iran's High School Students. Iran J Psychiatry. 2021;16(3):343-52.
40. Zhou X, Xing J. The relationship between college students’ online game addiction, family function and self-control. Health. 2021;13(9):910-9.
41. Lei H, Chiu MM, Quan J, Zhou W. Effect of self-control on aggression among students in China: A meta-analysis. Child Youth Serv Rev. 2020;116:105107.
42. Keatley D, Allom V, Mullan B. The effects of implicit and explicit self-control on self-reported aggression. Pers Individ Dif. 2017;107:154-8.
43. Gao-Cheng L, Qiu-Han Y, Jia-Rong C, Zhen-Hua L, Yan-Gang Z. The relationship between social exclusion and impulsive buying of college students: the mediating role of celebrity worship and the moderating role of self-control. Journal of Psychological Science. 2022;45(3):657.
44. Agustarika B, Adam A. The effect of online gaming addiction on violent behavior of high school students in Sorong City. Age (Years). 2020;75(70.7):29.3.
45. Devilly GJ, O’Donohue RP, Brown K. Personality and frustration predict aggression and anger following violent media. Psychology, crime & law. 2023;29(1):83-119.
46. Olejarnik SZ, Romano D. Is playing violent video games a risk factor for aggressive behaviour? Adding narcissism, self-esteem and PEGI ratings to the debate. Front Psychol. 2023;14:1155807.
47. Osgood JM, Muraven M. Does counting to ten increase or decrease aggression? The role of state self‐control (ego‐depletion) and consequences. J Appl Soc Psychol. 2016;46(2):105-13.
48. Pechorro P, Marsee M, DeLisi M, Maroco J. Self-control and aggression versatility: moderating effects in the prediction of delinquency and conduct disorder among youth. J Forensic Psychiatry Psychol. 2021;32(6):949-66.
2. Fam JY. Prevalence of internet gaming disorder in adolescents: A meta-analysis across three decades. Scand J Psychol. 2018;59(5):524-31.
3. Aziz N, Nordin MJ, Abdulkadir SJ, Salih MMM. Digital addiction: systematic review of computer game addiction impact on adolescent physical health. Electronics. 2021;10(9):996.
4. Begum F, Uddin MK, Parmita P, Sultana M. Game Addiction Predicting Anger and Disruptive Behavior among Adolescents in Dhaka City. Dhaka University Journal of Psychology. 2019;41:71-9.
5. Di Blasi M, Giardina A, Coco GL, Giordano C, Billieux J, Schimmenti A. A compensatory model to understand dysfunctional personality traits in problematic gaming: The role of vulnerable narcissism. Pers Individ Dif. 2020;160:109921.
6. Amad S, Gray NS, Snowden RJ. Self-Esteem, Narcissism, and Aggression: Different Types of Self-Esteem Predict Different Types of Aggression. J Interpers Violence. 2021;36(23-24):Np13296-np313.
7. Quancai L, Meng C, Kunjie C. Social control and self-control: factors linking exposure to domestic violence and adolescents' Internet gaming addiction. Front Psychiatry. 2023;14:1245563.
8. Zashchirinskaia O, Isagulova E. Childhood Trauma as a Risk Factor for High Risk Behaviors in Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(1):65-71.
9. Zahrai K, Veer E, Ballantine PW, Peter de Vries H. Conceptualizing self-control on problematic social media use. AMJ. 2022;30(1):74-89.
10. Fatfouta R, Rogoza R, Brud PP, Rentzsch K. Too tempting to resist? Self-control moderates the relationship between narcissism and antisocial tendencies. J Res Pers. 2022;96:104156.
11. Addo PC, Fang J, Kulbo NB, Gumah B, Dagadu JC, Li L. Violent Video Games and Aggression Among Young Adults: The Moderating Effects of Adverse Environmental Factors. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2021;24(1):17-23.
12. Tang WY, Reer F, Quandt T. The interplay of gaming disorder, gaming motivations, and the dark triad. J Behav Addict. 2020;9(2):491-6.
13. Vega A, Cabello R, Megías-Robles A, Gómez-Leal R, Fernández-Berrocal P. Emotional Intelligence and Aggressive Behaviors in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2022;23(4):1173-83.
14. Mohammadi MR, Ahmadi N, Khaleghi A, Mostafavi SA, Kamali K, Rahgozar M, et al. Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Disorders in a National Survey of Iranian Children and Adolescents. Iran J Psychiatry. 2019;14(1):1-15.
15. Sohrabivafa M, Tosang MA, Molaei Zadeh SZ, Goodarzi E, Asadi ZS, Alikhani A, et al. Prevalence of Risky Behaviors and Related Factors among Students of Dezful. Iran J Psychiatry. 2017;12(3):188-93.
16. Kayan Ocakoğlu B, Kafalı HY, Ocakoğlu FT, Kardaş B, Kardaş Ö, Işık A, et al. Relations of Childhood Trauma and Emotional Dysregulation with Suicide Ideation and Suicidal Behaviour Severity in a Clinical Sample of Depressive Female Adolescents. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(4):443-54.
17. Gini G, Thornberg R, Bussey K, Angelini F, Pozzoli T. Longitudinal Links of Individual and Collective Morality with Adolescents' Peer Aggression. J Youth Adolesc. 2022;51(3):524-39.
18. Hayes NL, Lloyd-Richardson EE, Marsee MA. Correlates of relational and physical aggression among peers and dating partners in a College Sample. J Child Fam Stud. 2021;30(7):1697-711.
19. Le DT, Huynh SV, Vu TV, Dang-Thi NT, Nguyen-Duong BT, Duong KA, et al. Personality Traits and Aggressive Behavior in Vietnamese Adolescents. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023;16:1987-2003.
20. Heng CJ, Rabbani M. The Relationship between Gaming Addiction, Aggressive Behaviour and Narcissistic Personality Traits among University Students in Malaysia. Indian J Public Health Res Dev. 2020;11(5).
21. Ayadi N, Pireinaladin S, Shokri M, Dargahi S, Zarein F. Investigating the Mediating Role of Procrastination in the Relationship between Positive and Negative Perfectionism and Mobile Phone Addiction in Gifted Students. Iran J Psychiatry. 2021;16(1):30-55.
22. Liu Y, Wang Q, Jou M, Wang B, An Y, Li Z. Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the 7-item game addiction scale (GAS) among Chinese college students. BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):484.
23. Manapat PD, Edwards MC, MacKinnon DP, Poldrack RA, Marsch LA. A Psychometric Analysis of the Brief Self-Control Scale. Assessment. 2021;28(2):395-412.
24. Fung SF, Kong CYW, Huang Q. Evaluating the Dimensionality and Psychometric Properties of the Brief Self-Control Scale Amongst Chinese University Students. Front Psychol. 2019;10.
25. Thomaes S, Stegge H, Bushman BJ, Olthof T, Denissen J. Development and validation of the childhood narcissism scale. J Pers Assess. 2008;90(4):382-91.
26. Abd Ghani I, Rozubi NC. Content Validity and Reliability of Buss and Perry Aggressive Questionnaire (BPAQ) Inventory. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling. 2020;5(37):297-303.
27. Maxwell JP. Development and preliminary validation of a Chinese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire in a population of Hong Kong Chinese. J Pers Assess. 2007;88(3):284-94.
28. Caner N, Evgin D. Digital risks and adolescents: The relationships between digital game addiction, emotional eating, and aggression. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2021;30(6):1599-609.
29. T'Ng S T, Ho KH, Sim DE, Yu CH, Wong PY. The mediating effect of Internet gaming disorder's symptoms on loneliness and aggression among undergraduate students and working adults in Malaysia. Psych J. 2020;9(1):96-107.
30. Dowsett A, Jackson M. The effect of violence and competition within video games on aggression. Comput Human Behav. 2019;99:22-7.
31. Yilmaz R, Sulak S, Griffiths MD, Yilmaz FGK. An exploratory examination of the relationship between internet gaming disorder, smartphone addiction, social appearance anxiety and aggression among undergraduate students. J Affect Disord Rep. 2023;11:100483.
32. Zandi Payam A, Mirzaeidoostan Z. Online game addiction relationship with cognitive distortion, parenting style, and narcissistic personality traits in students. Iran J Psychiatry Clin Psychol. 2019;25(1):72-83.
33. Nawaz MW, Nadeem T, Rao SL, Fatima T, Shoaib S. Impact of PUBG game addiction on social isolation and narcissistic tendencies among gamers. AJSSMS. 2020;7(3):166-72.
34. Çevik O, Koçak O, Younis MZ, Çevik E. The Mediating Role of Gaming Disorder in the Effect of Narcissism on Happiness in Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(13).
35. Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ. The link between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2021;147(5):477-503.
36. Afriwilda M, Wibowo ME. Craving For Game Online Game Addiction And Its Association With Self-Control On High School Students. EJPR Vol. 2020;7(2).
37. Jeong H, Yim HW, Lee SY, Lee HK, Potenza MN, Jo SJ, et al. Low self-control and aggression exert serial mediation between inattention/hyperactivity problems and severity of internet gaming disorder features longitudinally among adolescents. J Behav Addict. 2020;9(2):401-9.
38. Chang E, Kim B. School and individual factors on game addiction: A multilevel analysis. Int J Psychol. 2020;55(5):822-31.
39. Azami MS, Taremian F. Risk Factors Associated with Cyberbullying, Cybervictimization, and Cyberbullying-Victimization in Iran's High School Students. Iran J Psychiatry. 2021;16(3):343-52.
40. Zhou X, Xing J. The relationship between college students’ online game addiction, family function and self-control. Health. 2021;13(9):910-9.
41. Lei H, Chiu MM, Quan J, Zhou W. Effect of self-control on aggression among students in China: A meta-analysis. Child Youth Serv Rev. 2020;116:105107.
42. Keatley D, Allom V, Mullan B. The effects of implicit and explicit self-control on self-reported aggression. Pers Individ Dif. 2017;107:154-8.
43. Gao-Cheng L, Qiu-Han Y, Jia-Rong C, Zhen-Hua L, Yan-Gang Z. The relationship between social exclusion and impulsive buying of college students: the mediating role of celebrity worship and the moderating role of self-control. Journal of Psychological Science. 2022;45(3):657.
44. Agustarika B, Adam A. The effect of online gaming addiction on violent behavior of high school students in Sorong City. Age (Years). 2020;75(70.7):29.3.
45. Devilly GJ, O’Donohue RP, Brown K. Personality and frustration predict aggression and anger following violent media. Psychology, crime & law. 2023;29(1):83-119.
46. Olejarnik SZ, Romano D. Is playing violent video games a risk factor for aggressive behaviour? Adding narcissism, self-esteem and PEGI ratings to the debate. Front Psychol. 2023;14:1155807.
47. Osgood JM, Muraven M. Does counting to ten increase or decrease aggression? The role of state self‐control (ego‐depletion) and consequences. J Appl Soc Psychol. 2016;46(2):105-13.
48. Pechorro P, Marsee M, DeLisi M, Maroco J. Self-control and aggression versatility: moderating effects in the prediction of delinquency and conduct disorder among youth. J Forensic Psychiatry Psychol. 2021;32(6):949-66.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 19 No 3 (2024) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v19i3.15804 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Adolescence Aggression Narcissism Self-Control Video Game Addiction | ||
| Rights and permissions | |
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Pan Y, Motevalli S, Yu L. The Relationship between Game Addiction and Aggression among Adolescents with Mediating Role of Narcissism and Self-Control. Iran J Psychiatry. 2024;19(3):274-284.
