Developing an intense player-avatar relationship and feeling disconnected by the physical body
A pathway towards internet gaming disorder for people reporting empty feelings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21622402 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Silvia Casale (0000-0003-3823-9773, University of Florence, corresponding author), Alessia Musicò (0000-0002-0010-7946, University of Florence), Nicola Gualtieri (University of Florence), Giulia Fioravanti (0000-0002-8653-9925, University of Florence) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 24 |
| Pages | 20748-20756 |
| Publication date | 2023-08-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1046-1310 • E-ISSN: 1936-4733 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12144-022-03186-9 |
| OpenAlex | W4280533387 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 54 |
The literature suggests that alexithymia and emptiness could be risk factors for various addictive behaviors. The present study developed and tested a model that proposes a pathway leading from emptiness and difficulties in identifying emotions to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) symptoms via an intense gamer-avatar relationship and bodily dissociative experiences. A sample of 285 (64.2% M; mean age = 30.38 ± 7.53) online gamers using avatar-based videogames was recruited from gaming communities, and they were asked to complete a survey that included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Subjective Emptiness scale, the Scale of Body Connection, the Self-Presence Questionnaire, and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form. The structural model evaluated produced a good fit to the data [ χ 2 = 175.14, df = 55, p RMSEA = 0.08 ( 90% C.I. =0.07–0.09), CFI = 0.96, SRMR = 0.08] explaining 28% of the total variance. Alexithymia was indirectly associated with IGD through the serial mediation of the gamer-avatar relationship and body dissociation. Emptiness was associated with IGD symptoms at the bivariate level, but did not predict IGD directly or indirectly. The current study identifies a potential pathway toward IGD by integrating different lines of research, showing the importance of considering aspects such as the difficulty in recognising and expressing one’s emotions, the gamer- avatar relationship, and the mind-body connection in the context of IGD
Alexithymia · Avatar · Developmental psychology · Emptiness · Feeling · Structural equation modeling · The Internet · Toronto Alexithymia Scale · World Wide Web · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology
Problematic gaming, social withdrawal, and Escapism
The Role of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation and Problematic Instagram Use in the Relationship Between Self-Concept Clarity and Body Disconnection
Understanding Emptiness in a Chinese Sample
Exploring the Psychodynamics of Compulsive Shopping
From active escapism to virtual withdrawal
Machine Learning(s) in gaming disorder through the user-avatar bond
Network comparison analysis of comorbid depression and anxiety disorder in a large clinical sample before and after treatment
Exploring user-avatar bond profiles
Maladaptive daydreaming, self-concept clarity, and gaming disorder symptoms assessed through DSM-5 and ICD-11
Expert appraisal of criteria for assessing gaming disorder
Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale – Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) in an Italian-speaking sample
A Comparison of Approaches to Forming Composite Measures in Structural Equation Models
Problematic video game use as an emotional coping strategy
Cross validation of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale
Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis
Self-discrepancy
Testing Structural Equation Models
Player-avatar interactions in habitual and problematic gaming
Are video games intrinsically addictive? An international online survey
Addiction and the self
A conceptual and methodological critique of internet addiction research
Measuring DSM-5 internet gaming disorder
Psychic retreats or psychic pits
Depression, Internet Gaming Disorder, and the Moderating Effect of the Gamer-Avatar Relationship
The Physical, Emotional, and Identity User-Avatar Association with Disordered Gaming
Reinforcing Spirals
A network perspective on the relationship between gaming disorder, depression, alexithymia, boredom, and loneliness among a sample of Chinese university students
Alternative Ways of Assessing Model Fit
| Citations per year | 2.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |