The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving
The burgeoning user base and potential negative effects of excessive involvement in gaming, particularly Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), demand significant attention. While existing research has explored the susceptibility of individuals with IGD to game-related stimuli, the question of why it is ch...
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| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1579016/full |
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| author | Yanmeng Bao Hui Zhou Fengji Geng Fengji Geng Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu |
| author_facet | Yanmeng Bao Hui Zhou Fengji Geng Fengji Geng Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu |
| author_sort | Yanmeng Bao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The burgeoning user base and potential negative effects of excessive involvement in gaming, particularly Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), demand significant attention. While existing research has explored the susceptibility of individuals with IGD to game-related stimuli, the question of why it is challenging for these individuals to disengage from gaming remains under-explored. Drawing parallels with the concept of interruption, we hypothesize that negative emotions triggered during gaming interruptions would drive individuals’ craving for the game and compelling them to continue playing, reinforcing the IGD cycle. In this study, 42 male ‘League of Legends’ players, aged 19 to 29, experienced controlled interruptions every 3 min during gaming and non-gaming control tasks. Our findings demonstrate that interruptions during gaming elicited significantly higher levels of anger and anxiety compared to the control tasks. Further, we found a positive correlation between the severity of IGD symptoms and the intensity of anger and anxiety induced by gaming interruptions. Additionally, our analysis suggests that craving partially mediates the relationship between anger arousal during gaming interruptions and IGD severity. These findings provide new insights into how emotional responses to gaming interruptions contribute to IGD, offering a novel perspective for future research and potential treatment approaches. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c6bdf22aef014829bccc8352aed57759 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c6bdf22aef014829bccc8352aed577592025-08-20T03:07:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-06-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15790161579016The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game cravingYanmeng Bao0Hui Zhou1Fengji Geng2Fengji Geng3Yuzheng Hu4Yuzheng Hu5Yuzheng Hu6Yuzheng Hu7Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaThe State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Curriculum and Learning Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaChildren’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaThe State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaMOE Frontiers Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaNanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, ChinaThe burgeoning user base and potential negative effects of excessive involvement in gaming, particularly Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), demand significant attention. While existing research has explored the susceptibility of individuals with IGD to game-related stimuli, the question of why it is challenging for these individuals to disengage from gaming remains under-explored. Drawing parallels with the concept of interruption, we hypothesize that negative emotions triggered during gaming interruptions would drive individuals’ craving for the game and compelling them to continue playing, reinforcing the IGD cycle. In this study, 42 male ‘League of Legends’ players, aged 19 to 29, experienced controlled interruptions every 3 min during gaming and non-gaming control tasks. Our findings demonstrate that interruptions during gaming elicited significantly higher levels of anger and anxiety compared to the control tasks. Further, we found a positive correlation between the severity of IGD symptoms and the intensity of anger and anxiety induced by gaming interruptions. Additionally, our analysis suggests that craving partially mediates the relationship between anger arousal during gaming interruptions and IGD severity. These findings provide new insights into how emotional responses to gaming interruptions contribute to IGD, offering a novel perspective for future research and potential treatment approaches.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1579016/fullinternet gaming disordergaming interruptioncravingemotional arousalanger |
| spellingShingle | Yanmeng Bao Hui Zhou Fengji Geng Fengji Geng Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu Yuzheng Hu The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving Frontiers in Psychology internet gaming disorder gaming interruption craving emotional arousal anger |
| title | The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving |
| title_full | The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving |
| title_fullStr | The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving |
| title_short | The relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving |
| title_sort | relation between game disorder and interruption during game is mediated by game craving |
| topic | internet gaming disorder gaming interruption craving emotional arousal anger |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1579016/full |
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