(PS7-A24) Examining the Relations Between a Broad Range of Executive Functions and Problematic Online Gaming Behaviors in a Sample of Undergraduate Students

Online gaming is a popular pastime among young adults and may provide opportunities for socialization, stress reduction, or serve as a coping mechanism; however, excessive online gaming may lead to maladaptive behaviors, including self-isolation and sleep problems, and is associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety (Peracchia et al., 2019). With safety guidelines put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, studies have reported significant increases in online gaming frequency compared to pre-pandemic online gaming habits (Barr & Copeland Stewart, 2022; Sallie et al., 2021). Studies investigating cognitive processes in young adults who frequently engage in online gaming and exhibit problematic gaming behaviors (i.e., a loss of control over gaming that impairs daily functioning) have found that these behaviors are associated with difficulties in attentional shifting and inhibitory control (Billieux et al., 2020; Ferguson & Ceranoglu, 2013). Thus, we were interested in examining the relationship between a broader range of executive functions (EF) and problematic online gaming behaviors in a sample of undergraduate students.

 
Ninety-two undergraduate students (mean age = 20; 55% female, 45% male; 68.5% Caucasian, 23.9% Black, 4.3% Asian, 1.1% Biracial, 2.2% other) completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function- Adult Version (BRIEF-A) and the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (POGQ) between 2018-2022. These measures were administered during an in-lab visit for a larger study investigating maladaptive coping and aggressive responding.  within the context of a Cyberball paradigm. The BRIEF-A is a self-report measure of EF comprising nine subscales assessing inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, emotional control, self-monitoring, task initiation, planning and organization, working memory, and task monitoring. The POGQ assesses problematic gaming behaviors via the dimensions of preoccupation, overuse, immersion, social isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and withdrawal. On average, participants played online games from one to three hours per day.

Bivariate correlations run between the POGQ subscales and the BRIEF-A subscales revealed that all BRIEF-A subscales were significantly related to at least one of the POGQ subscales except emotional control. A subsequent multiple regression was run with the BRIEF subscales that were found to be significantly correlated with the POGQ subscales entered as independent variables and the POGQ total score entered as the dependent variable. The overall model was significant (F(8,83) = 5.13, p < .001, R² = .58), indicating a good fit to the data. The Plan/Organize subscale emerged as the only IV to have a significant relationship with the DV (β = .33, t(91) = 2.49, p = .015).

The Plan/Organize subscale predicted POGQ scores over and above other BRIEF-A subscales, which may indicate that young adults who struggle with setting goals, devising a plan to meet those goals, and organizing new information into key concepts are more likely to endorse problematic online gaming behaviors. Future work should consider using a longitudinal design to better understand this relationship in order to further inform prevention strategies for problematic online gaming.