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Time Loss Whilst Playing Video Games: Is there a Relationship to Addictive Behaviours?

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Abstract

At present, little is known about why subjective time loss occurs whilst playing video games other than that it may relate to features of escape, immersion and arousal—all of which have been implicated in the development of addictive behaviours. This study examined subjective time loss of 40 undergraduate students (26 males and 14 females with a mean age of 21.4 years) whilst playing one of two video games in an experimental setting. Mood state before and after game playing was also examined using the Profile of Mood States—Short Form (POMS-SF, Grove & Prapavessis, 1992). Results found that, females significantly underestimated the time that they were playing compared to males. Total Mood Disturbance increased after playing one of the games, but only for participants who reported that they would liked to have continued playing for longer. There were no gender differences in relation to mood state. It is concluded that time loss is not (in itself) a precipitating or facilitating factor relating to addictive behaviour patterns.

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Notes

  1. High frequency players were defined as playing video games at least five times a week for a minimum of 1.5 h per session. Low frequency players were defined as playing video games two days a week or less, and an hour or less during each playing session.

  2. Unreal is a first person shooter where the character runs around an arena shooting at other characters (in this case non-player characters), whilst trying to avoid being shot him/herself.

  3. Ico is a third person perspective adventure game where the character is a small boy who must rescue a girl and escape from a castle avoiding various black shadowy ghosts.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the British Academy for funding this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU, UK

    Richard T. A. Wood & Mark D. Griffiths

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  1. Richard T. A. Wood
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  2. Mark D. Griffiths
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Correspondence to Mark D. Griffiths.

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Wood, R.T.A., Griffiths, M.D. Time Loss Whilst Playing Video Games: Is there a Relationship to Addictive Behaviours?. Int J Ment Health Addiction 5, 141–149 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-006-9048-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-006-9048-2

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