The Prevalence, Risk, Theory and Presenting Problem of Internet Addiction

444 Pages·2014·5.88 MB·English

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II
Dedication(cid:561)
This(cid:561)work(cid:561)is(cid:561)dedicated(cid:561)to(cid:561)my(cid:561)loving(cid:561)family,(cid:561)my(cid:561)parents(cid:561)and(cid:561)brother,(cid:561)as(cid:561)well(cid:561)as(cid:561)
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III
Acknowledgements(cid:561)
Initially,(cid:561)would(cid:561)like(cid:561)to(cid:561)give(cid:561)credit(cid:561)to(cid:561)my(cid:561)supervisors(cid:561)Mark(cid:561)Griffiths,(cid:561)Gillian(cid:561)
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Mark(cid:561)for(cid:561)his(cid:561)constant(cid:561)support,(cid:561)encouragement,(cid:561)and(cid:561)appreciation(cid:561)of(cid:561)my(cid:561)ideas,(cid:561)
as(cid:561)well(cid:561)as(cid:561)opening(cid:561)the(cid:561)doors(cid:561)to(cid:561)academia(cid:561)and(cid:561)the(cid:561)many(cid:561)opportunities(cid:561)along(cid:561)the(cid:561)
way.(cid:561)
I(cid:561) would(cid:561) like(cid:561) to(cid:561) give(cid:561) credit(cid:561) to(cid:561) the(cid:561) IVO(cid:561) team,(cid:561) Dike(cid:561) van(cid:561) de(cid:561) Mheen,(cid:561) Tim(cid:561)
Schoenmakers,(cid:561)and(cid:561)especially(cid:561)Tony(cid:561)van(cid:561)Rooij,(cid:561)for(cid:561)their(cid:561)willingness(cid:561)to(cid:561)share(cid:561)
their(cid:561)data(cid:561)and(cid:561)for(cid:561)letting(cid:561)me(cid:561)investigate(cid:561)some(cid:561)of(cid:561)the(cid:561)many(cid:561)secrets(cid:561)that(cid:561)lie(cid:561)hidden(cid:561)
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to(cid:561)Tony(cid:561)for(cid:561)the(cid:561)enlightening(cid:561)(albeit(cid:561)controversial!)(cid:561)discussions!(cid:561)
I(cid:561)would(cid:561)also(cid:561)like(cid:561)to(cid:561)give(cid:561)credit(cid:561)to(cid:561)Jo(cid:699)l(cid:561)Billieux(cid:561)and(cid:561)Laurent(cid:561)Karila(cid:561)for(cid:561)their(cid:561)
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addiction(cid:561)research(cid:561)literature.(cid:561)
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numerous(cid:561)quotes(cid:561)with(cid:561)me(cid:561)and(cid:561)in(cid:561)the(cid:561)process(cid:561)increased(cid:561)the(cid:561)scientific(cid:561)soundness(cid:561)
of(cid:561)my(cid:561)qualitative(cid:561)research!(cid:561)Cheers!(cid:561)
Also,(cid:561) thanks(cid:561) to(cid:561) my(cid:561) precious(cid:561) friends(cid:561) and(cid:561) colleagues,(cid:561) who(cid:561) stimulated(cid:561) the(cid:561)
research(cid:561)processes(cid:561)both(cid:561)critically(cid:561)as(cid:561)well(cid:561)as(cid:561)empathetically(cid:561)and(cid:561)who(cid:561)were(cid:561)never(cid:561)
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shared(cid:561)their(cid:561)expertise(cid:561)with(cid:561)me,(cid:561)and(cid:561)the(cid:561)adolescents(cid:561)and(cid:561)students(cid:561)who(cid:561)were(cid:561)not(cid:561)
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Perry(cid:561)Foundation(cid:561)for(cid:561)their(cid:561)generous(cid:561)funding(cid:561)of(cid:561)the(cid:561)last(cid:561)stages(cid:561)of(cid:561)this(cid:561)doctoral(cid:561)
research(cid:561)project.(cid:561)
It(cid:561)is(cid:561)done.(cid:561) (cid:561)

IV
List(cid:561)of(cid:561)Publications(cid:561)
Peer-reviewed journal articles
Kuss, D. J., Griffiths, M. D., Karila, L., & Billieux, J. (2013). Internet Addiction: A review
of epidemiological research for the last decade. Current Pharmaceutical Design, in
press.
Kuss, D. J. (2013). Internet gaming addiction: Current perspectives. Psychology Research and
Behavior Management, in press.
Kuss, D. J., Griffiths, M. D., & Binder, J. F. (2013). Internet addiction in students:
Prevalence and risk factors. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(3), 959–966.
Kuss, D. J., van Rooij, A., Shorter, G. W., Griffiths, M. D., & van de Mheen, D. (2013).
Internet addiction in adolescents: Prevalence and risk factors. Computers in Human
Behavior, 29(5), 1987–1996.
Stavropoulos, V., Kuss, D. J., & Motti- Stefanidi, F. (2013). The dynamic reverse of
Internet Addiction risk and protective factors within context and time: The
examples of online gaming and aggression. Under revision.
Van Rooij, A. J., Kuss, D. J., Griffiths, M. D., Shorter, G. W., Schoenmakers, T. M., &
van de Mheen, D. (2013). The (co-)occurrence of problematic video gaming,
substance use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents. Under revision.
Kuss, D. J., Shorter, G. W., van Rooij, A. J., Griffiths, M. D., & Schoenmakers, T. (2013).
Assessing Internet addiction using the parsimonious Internet addiction
components model. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, in press.
Kuss, D. J., Louws, J., & Wiers, R. W. W. (2012). Online gaming addiction? Motives
predict addictive play behavior in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing
Games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 15(9), 480-485.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Internet and gaming addiction: A systematic
literature review of neuroimaging studies. Brain Sciences, 2, 347-374.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Internet gaming addiction: A systematic review of
empirical research. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 10(2), 278-
296. doi: 10.1007/s11469-011-9318-5
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Online gaming addiction in children and
adolescents: A review of empirical research. Journal of Behavioral Addiction, (1), 1-
20. doi: 10.1556/JBA.1.2012.1.1
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). La dépendance au jeu sur Internet: Une revue
systématique de recherche empirique disponibles dans la literature. Adolescence
(Special issue: Fantasmes et realities du virtuel), 30(1), 17-49.

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Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & King, D. L. (2012). Video game addiction: Past, present
and future. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 8(4), 308-318.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2011). Addiction to social networks on the Internet: A
literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
8(9), 3528-3552. doi: 10.3390/ijerph8093528.
Beutel, M. E., Brähler, E., Glaesmer, H., Kuss, D. J., Wölfling, K., & Müller, K. W.
(2011). Regular and problematic leisure-time Internet use in the community:
Results from a population-based survey. Cyberpsychology, Behaviour & Social
Networking, 14(5), 291-296, doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0199.
Griffiths, M. D., Lewis, A. M., Ortiz de Gortari, A. B., & Kuss, D. J. (2011). Online
forums and solicited blogs: Innovative methodologies for online gaming data
collection. Studia Psychologica, 11(1), 5-18.

Editorials
Kuss, D. J. (2012). Substance and behavioral addictions: Beyond dependence. Journal of
Addiction Research and Therapy, S6, e001.

Books
Kuss, D. J. (2013). For the Horde! How playing World of Warcraft reflects our participation in
popular media culture. Saarbrücken: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, in press
(ISBN: 978-3-659-40359-0).

Book chapters
Griffiths, M.D., Kuss, D.J. & Demetrovics, Z. (in press). Social networking addiction: An
overview of preliminary findings. In K. Rosenberg & L. Feder (Eds.), Behavioral
Addictions: Criteria, Evidence and Treatment. New York: Elsevier.
Billieux, J., Deleuzea, J., Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J. (2014). Internet gaming addiction:
The case of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games. In N. El-Gabaly,
G. Carrà & M. Galanter (Eds.), The textbook of addiction treatment: International
perspectives. New York: Springer, in press.
Griffiths, M. D., & Kuss, D. J. (2013). Online addictions: The case of gambling, video
gaming, and social networking. In S. S. Sundar (Ed.), Handbook of the Psychology of
Communication Technology. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, submitted.

VI
Kuss, D.J. & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Online social networking and addiction - A review
of the psychological literature. In S. Sussman (Ed.), Substance and behavioral
addictions: Co-occurence and specificity (pp.117-141). Basel, Switzerland: MPDI.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Internet gambling addiction. In Yan, Z. (ed.).
Encyclopedia of Cyber Behavior (pp. 735-753). Pennsylvania: IGI Global.
Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & Ortiz de Gortari, A. (2012). Videogames as therapy: A
review of the medical and psychological literature. In I. M. Miranda & M. M.
Cruz-Cunha (eds.), Handbook of research on ICTs for healthcare and social services:
Developments and applications. IGI global, in press.

Reports
Griffiths, M. D., & Kuss, D. J. (2012). Childrens’ excessive social networking: A brief
overview of the empirical literature. Research Highlights for Children's Online
Safety (Vol. 30): UK Council for Child Internet Safety.
Griffiths, M. D., & Kuss, D. J. (2011). Children's online gaming: A brief review of the
empirical literature. In UK Council for Child Internet Safety, Research Highlight No.
12. London: UKCCIS.

Conference Proceedings
Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J. & Ortiz de Gortari, A. B. (2012). The therapeutic benefit of
video games: A review of the medical and psychological literature. In D. Brown
(Ed.), Interactive Technologies and Games 2011 Conference Proceedings (pp.180-
202). Nottingham: NTU (ISBN: 978-1-84233-147-7).
Kuss, D. J. (2012). Internet addiction or else? A way out of conceptual crisis and a call for
nosological precision. European Psychiatry, 27, Supplement 1, 1.

Non-Refereed Articles
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Adolescent online gaming addiction. Education and
Health, 30(1), 15-17.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Social networking on the Internet: From pastime to
excess and addiction. Mental Notes, Summer 2012, 26-29.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2011). Excessive online social networking: Can adolescents
become addicted to Facebook? Education and Health, 29(4), 63-66.

VII
Griffiths, M. D., & Kuss, D. J. (2011). Adolescent social networking: Should parents and
teachers be worried? Education and Health, 29(2), 23-25.

Conference Papers
Kuss, D. J. (2013, June). Online gaming addiction: The issue of diagnostics. Extended session: Playing
with fire? Intense game experiences and discussions and debates in pathological gaming. Paper
presented at the International Communication Association Conference, London.
Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & King, D. (2013, June). Video game addiction: Past, present and
future. Extended session: Playing with fire? Intense game experiences and discussions and debates
in pathological gaming. Paper presented at the International Communication
Association Conference, London.
Van Rooij, A. J., Kuss, D. J., Griffiths, M. D., Shorter, G. W., Schoenmakers, T. M., van
de Mheen, D. (2013, June). The (co-)occurrence of problematic video game play, substance
use, and psychosocial problems in adolescents. Extended session: Playing with fire? Intense game
experiences and discussions and debates in pathological gaming. Paper presented at the
International Communication Association Conference, London.
Kuss, D. J., Griffiths, M. D., and Binder, J. (2013, April). Online on campus: Internet addiction
and personality in English university students. Presented at the Annual Conference of the
European Psychiatric Association, Nice, France.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012, July). Internet addictions at an English university: The
influence of personality traits on problematic online behaviours. Paper presented at the
Cyberpsychology and Computer Psychology Conference, University of Bolton,
Bolton, UK.
Griffiths, M. D. & Kuss, D. J. (2012, June). Gambling and gaming addictions on the Internet.
Paper presented at the ESCON small group meeting, University of Kent,
Canterbury, UK.
Kuss, D. J. (2012, May). Internet addiction: A (re)conceptualization. Paper presented at the
Postgraduate Conference, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
Kuss, D. J. (2012, April). Video games as therapy. Paper presented at the Gaming Conference
Genk, Genk, Belgium.
Kuss, D. J. (2012, March). Internet addiction or else? A way out of conceptual crisis and a call for
nosological precision. Paper presented at the 20th Annual Conference of the European
Psychiatric Association, Prague, Czech Republic.
Kuss, D. J. (2011, September). Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten von Glücksspielsucht und
Computerspielabhängigkeit [Differences and similarities of pathological gambling and

VIII
computer game addiction]. Paper presented at the 3. Symposium des Fachverbands
Medienabhängigkeit, Köln, Germany.
Kuss, D. J. (2011, May). Hooked on the Internet – Experience, context and prevalence of Internet
addictions. Paper presented at the Postgraduate Conference, Nottingham Trent
University, Nottingham, UK.
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IX
CONTENTS
Abstract .................................................................................................... 1
PART I: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................. 3
Internet Addiction: .......................................................................................... 3
A Literature Review of Epidemiological Research for the Last Decade ............................ 3
Introduction ............................................................................................... 3
Methods .................................................................................................... 7
Results ...................................................................................................... 8
What is Internet addiction? Assessment tools and conceptualisations ....................... 8
The Internet Addiction Test and the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire ... 8
Chen’s Internet Addiction Scale .............................................................. 10
Miscellaneous diagnostic assessment tools .................................................. 10
How common is Internet addiction? ............................................................. 11
Prevalence of Internet addiction in adolescents ............................................ 11
The prevalence of Internet addiction in adults ............................................. 16
Table 3 ................................................................................................ 26
What are the associated factors? .................................................................. 32
Factors associated with Internet addiction in adolescents ................................ 32
Factors associated with Internet addiction in adults ....................................... 34
Discussion ................................................................................................ 36
CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................ 45
Internet Gaming Addiction in Children and Adolescents: .......................................... 45
A Review of Empirical Research ........................................................................ 45
Introduction ............................................................................................. 45
Clinical diagnosis .................................................................................... 48
Methods .................................................................................................. 51
Results .................................................................................................... 52
Internet gaming addiction based on the criteria for pathological gambling ............... 53
Internet gaming addiction based on the criteria for substance dependence .............. 66
Internet gaming addiction based on the criteria for both pathological gambling and
substance dependence .............................................................................. 68
Internet gaming addiction based on parental reports ......................................... 70

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