Factors predicting internet gaming disorder: the role of congruent communication

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dc.contributor.authorChen, Yulin
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences
dc.contributor.supervisorLee, Bonnie K.
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-26T18:32:55Z
dc.date.available2025-11-26T18:32:55Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.degree.levelMasters
dc.description.abstractPrevious research has highlighted separate associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), family satisfaction, emotion regulation, psychological distress in relation to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). However, the role of communication was under-examined. Further, the specific pathways and interactions among relevant variables remain under-explored. This study aims to introduce congruent communication as a new variable and its role in internet gaming disorder and determine its relationship with other salient variables found in earlier studies correlated with IGD. This cross-sectional study recruited 179 Canadian emerging adults (ages 18–29) identified as at risk for IGD who were examined for ACEs, family satisfaction, psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, and congruent communication. Pearson correlation analyses revealed that higher ACE scores were significantly associated with greater emotion dysregulation, psychological distress, congruent communication, and lower family satisfaction. IGD severity (GAS-7) was positively correlated with emotion dysregulation and negatively associated with congruent communication and psychological well-being. Multiple regression analysis showed that the combined model of psychosocial predictors significantly accounted for variance in IGD severity, R² = .094, F (5, 173) = 3.575, p = .004. However, only congruent communication was a significant predictor of IGD severity, suggesting an interactive effect of variables and the importance of congruent communication in predicting IGD. These findings suggest that while ACEs and emotion dysregulation factors are significantly associated with IGD, their predictive power may operate in complex, overlapping ways with family dissatisfaction, psychological distress, and congruent communication. The result of this study indicates that congruent communication is a potentially significant variable for IGD in addiction counselling.
dc.embargoNo
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/7229
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences
dc.publisher.facultyHealth Sciences
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences)
dc.subjectInternet gaming disorder
dc.subjectInternet game play
dc.subjectOnline gaming
dc.subjectCongruent communication
dc.subjectAddiction counselling
dc.subject.lcshDissertations, Academic
dc.subject.lcshVideo games--Psychological aspects
dc.subject.lcshVideo games--Health aspects
dc.titleFactors predicting internet gaming disorder: the role of congruent communication
dc.typeThesis
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