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Evaluation of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) in a Recreational Video Game Playing Population

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Abstract

The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) identifies four personality dimensions related to reinforcement-specific patterns of substance use. Gaming literature has identified similar personalities and game-related reinforcement properties as core risk factors of problematic play. Given similarities, we investigated whether the SURPS model could be confirmed in a recreational video game playing population as a predictive model of problematic gaming. We recruited participants through gaming forums and Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete an online survey that focused on the SURPS and indicators of problematic gaming. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the SURPS is a valid instrument measuring four distinct personality dimensions with minor modifications. Regression analyses did not confirm all four at-risk personality dimensions as predictors of problematic play. The Impulsive personality was a significant predictor of lifetime frequency and problematic gaming, whereas the Hopelessness personality was a significant predictor of time spent playing. Future studies will need to assess this model using outcome variables grouped based on reinforcement-related gaming taxonomy.

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Funding

This research was supported by Memorial University through the Seed, Bridge and Multidisciplinary Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Memorial University, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada

    Leanne Wilkins, Joshua Rash, Jonathan Fawcett & Nicholas Harris

  2. Department of Psychology, 220 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3R5, Canada

    Leanne Wilkins

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  1. Leanne Wilkins
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  2. Joshua Rash
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  3. Jonathan Fawcett
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  4. Nicholas Harris
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Contributions

LW was responsible for analyzing the data and writing all sections of the manuscript. NH, JR, and JF were responsible for providing guidance in conceptualization, data analysis, and preparation of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Leanne Wilkins.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Wilkins, L., Rash, J., Fawcett, J. et al. Evaluation of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) in a Recreational Video Game Playing Population. Int J Ment Health Addiction 21, 944–957 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00633-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00633-9

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