Longitudinal linkages between sensation seeking and internet gaming addiction

Three???wave moderated mediation modeling

Bibliographic Data

ID13919087
AuthorsYiwen Xu (0009-0003-5487-5355, Department of Marxism, Moutai Institute, corresponding author), Bin Gao (0009-0001-6001-7790, Shanghai Normal University), Bingci Dou (Huainan Normal University)
Year2026
Volume54
Issue1
Pages1-10
Publication date2026-01-14
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Behavior and Personality An International Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0301-2212 • E-ISSN: 1179-6391
PublisherScientific Journal Publishers Limited (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2224/sbp.15212
OpenAlexW7127429917
LanguageEN
References cited4

There have been few longitudinal studies of the relationship between sensation seeking and internet gaming addiction ???IGA???, and the underlying mechanisms remain inadequately elucidated. Thus, we conducted a three???wave longitudinal study by applying the interaction of person‐affect‐cognition‐execution model to examine the link between sensation seeking and IGA, concurrently considering the mediating role of self???control and the moderating role of fear of missing out. We gathered data from a cohort of Chinese college students over 12 months and conducted correlation and moderated mediation analyses. Results revealed a positive relationship between sensation seeking and IGA, with self???control partially mediating this association. Moreover, fear of missing out positively moderated the links between sensation seeking and IGA, and between self???control and IGA. These findings have implications for developing targeted measures aimed at mitigating IGA among young adults

Addiction · Longitudinal data · Longitudinal study · Mediation · Moderated mediation · Sensation · Sensation Seeking · The Internet · Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts

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