A STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF DIGITAL GAME ADDICTION ON ATTITUDE

Abstract

Increased internet access and usage are considered to be one of the most important determinants of behavioral addictions such as digital game addiction. Children and adolescents constitute a high-risk group in terms of digital game addiction. This situation highlights the importance of specifically addressing children and adolescents in preventive interventions. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of digital games on attitude change. In this study, the relationship between digital game addiction and attitude change was examined using a structural equation model among 248 students attending a public university who play digital games. According to the results obtained from the analyses, it was found that the reasons individuals play digital games significantly and positively influence the three main dimensions of digital game addiction (“excessive focus and procrastination,” “deprivation and seeking,” and “emotional change and immersion”). These findings indicate that students’ motivations for playing digital games play a decisive role in both the formation process and the continuity of digital game addiction. Based on the study results, it is recommended that intervention programs developed for behavioral addictions such as digital game addiction be designed in a way that takes into account the internal and external motivational factors that drive individuals to play games.