Australian Study on Videogame Addiction Finds Evidence of a Phenomenon Seen in Drug and Alcohol Addicts

Post by Dan @ 08:37am 26/11/12 | 20 Comments

A PhD student at the Australian National University has reportedly documented some of the first scientific evidence that video game addiction has a fundamental affect on the attention system of sufferers, a phenomenon seen in heroin, nicotine, alcohol and gambling addictions.

Reports by SMH, and ABC (which predictably ran with the sensationalised headlines Video game craving 'bad as alcohol', and Video games as addictive as gambling: study) explain that ANU student Olivia Metcalf studied excessive World of Warcraft players, and discovered that some of the participants demonstrated "attentional bias", a symptom theorised as a major factor in the development of addiction. The research appears to have been presented to the public for the first time at a recent Australian Government-sponsored event hosted by Fresh Science (via: fresh science.org.au):

Olivia presented about 20 video gaming “addicts” with different words and asked them to respond to the colour of the word, not the meaning. They were significantly slower to name the colour of gaming-related words compared to words which had nothing to do with gaming. Non-addicted gamers showed no difference in response times.

“We found that the attention system of an excessive gamer gives top priority to gaming information. Even if they don’t want to think about gaming, they are unable to stop themselves. This likely makes stopping or cutting back on gaming even more difficult,” Olivia says.

“This phenomenon, known as attentional bias, is found across heroin, nicotine, alcohol and gambling addictions, and is thought to be a significant factor in the development of an addiction.”

The affect was reportedly not found in people who play games but don't experience negative symptoms, and Ms Metcalf is quoted clarifying that researchers are not out to restrict or ban gaming with the findings:

"We're really just focusing on helping this minority of individuals who are experiencing negative problems and to make sure that video games stay fun for them," she said.

"We want video games to stay fun and enjoyable and entertaining for everybody."

The research hopes to assist psychologists to "develop effective treatments for gamers who are unable to stop".

addiction videogame addiction study

Latest Comments

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Nerf Lord
Posted 08:44am 26/11/12

Hrm, I was fine with it until I read that summary of their methodology.

People who spend a lot of time around a topic require more brain time dedicated to sorting all their information about it? Not my field, but it sounds like an entirely expected result, just as if you asked me to define the colour of the words "public" or "private" I'd have to dig through my memories of the common colouring codings used in programming IDEs.

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simul
Posted 08:56am 26/11/12

There was research at QUT a while ago ( http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1952281 ) that found that people more likely to go nutty were also more likely to play RPGs or Adventure Games. People that played FPS and racing games were less so - but it was still early work.

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Mephz
Posted 09:18am 26/11/12

What a silly study.

I bet if you showed words that was related to someones career they'd take longer to respond too.
I would dare say most people aren't addicted to work.

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Obes
Posted 10:35am 26/11/12

I bet if you showed words that was related to someones career they'd take longer to respond too.

I am addicted to my job, can the government pay me to give it up ?

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demon
Posted 10:58am 26/11/12

if you think about a singular subject the majority of the time... is that "attentional bias" or just dedication? my guess would be that if the subject is a socially accepted norm then it's dedication... if it's not socially acceptable then it's attention bias :p

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greazy
Posted 11:18am 26/11/12

What a silly study.

I bet if you showed words that was related to someones career they'd take longer to respond too.
I would dare say most people aren't addicted to work.

Hrm, I was fine with it until I read that summary of their methodology.People who spend a lot of time around a topic require more brain time dedicated to sorting all their information about it? Not my field, but it sounds like an entirely expected result, just as if you asked me to define the colour of the words "public" or "private" I'd have to dig through my memories of the common colouring codings used in programming IDEs.

Wat? I haven't read the paper but the article says they were presented with a word (i.e red) and where asked to name the colour the word was written in (i.e bue). It's a classic study to measure attention.

What the f*** are you two talking about?

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Khel
Posted 11:49am 26/11/12

Wat? I haven't read the paper but the article says they were presented with a word (i.e red) and where asked to name the colour the word was written in (i.e bue). It's a classic study to measure attention.

No, they were presented with gaming related words in different colours and asked to say the colour, then presented with non-gaming related words in different clours and asked to say the colour, and apparently they took longer with the gaming related ones.

But yeah, I reckon if you took a surgeon and did the same thing with medical related words you'd get the same result.

Wasn't there just a TED talk posted here a few weeks ago that was about a person doing work that proved the exact opposite? That playing games increased a person's attention and reaction times and perception and ability to multi-task, etc? Seems like nobody can agree on this stuff.

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Sommescum
Posted 11:49am 26/11/12

lol... WoW fans... seems legit

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Nerf Lord
Posted 12:09pm 26/11/12

I'm showing signs of being addicted to sex, and I'm not even an active user.

Snark aside, I would be grateful if somebody actually read the thing and told us lazy people whether that's really all that they looked for. ;)

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Taipan
Posted 03:38am 27/11/12

they are unable to stop themselves

Sounds about right for a world of warcraft player particularly if they have been playing since its release or even BC for that matter.

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Phooks
Posted 10:57am 27/11/12

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroop_effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention#Selective_Attention

TL;DR gaming addicts give more attention to gaming related words.

All this means is that videogame addiction is just like every other form of addiction (what a suprise). IMO it would be 100x more interesting if she found data that didn't support the hypothesis.

Anyway you don't need to be a psych to know videogame addiction is bad mmmmkay. If you or anyone you know has withdrawals/cravings/negative consequences to diet/sleep/relationships/work and school commitments go see a psychologist (talking to a GP should give you some free psych sessions).

If however you manage to play 5+ hours a day, and for all intents and purposes can still function like a normal human being, carry on.

last edited by Phooks at 10:57:57 27/Nov/12

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Phooks
Posted 11:03am 27/11/12

Now when they start diagnosing 'internet addiction' as a thing, that's when the lols will start

last edited by Phooks at 11:03:08 27/Nov/12

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Zakson
Posted 11:31am 27/11/12

ad·dict·ed/əˈdiktid/
Adjective:
1.Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.
2.Enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity.

Why do people keep throwing this word around? Attention whores? New headline: "Researchers addicted to attention, continually exaggerate their findings".

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Raven
Posted 02:19pm 27/11/12

Same reason people use the words "Communist", "Socialist", "Nazi" and "un-Australian"/"un-American" - because it grabs attention. It doesn't have to be remotely true, of course...

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SquashedDuck
Posted 05:48pm 27/11/12

"Olivia working with a participant"

This photo is is a joke right? Has to be. Can't take this research seriously.

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icewyrm
Posted 06:27pm 27/11/12

Nah there's a mac wow client, it's legit.

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SquashedDuck
Posted 06:29pm 27/11/12

Nah there's a mac wow client, it's legit.

And gamers with black tees and backward caps, and researchers with pens and folders. Lab coat must have been in the wash.

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Trauma
Posted 08:54pm 27/11/12

What rubbish, of course I would ponder longer on a word/subject I'm familiar with. Having an interest in something is now a factor in becoming addicted... you don't say!

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Obes
Posted 09:59pm 27/11/12

I'd probably look longer at porn words over gaming words ... I'm not addicted to porn.

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Kimbo
Posted 01:43pm 02/12/12

I was listening to the ABC Radio and I heard them changing the 'view' and twisting it.

There was a really good TED talk about video gaming and world problem solving and how we'd need 2 billion hours of game time. With initiatives like "Folding At Home" we're going to need a lot more of this:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508122520.htm

To solve things with visual, perceptual or even cognitive problems (but not limited to).

While we let the monsters run amok.
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre8at109-us-gm-journal/

Let alone start ups of the 1990s or the idea of Cyber Diversion Theory.

Just problematic that the likes of MPlayer, Heat.NET and TEN (The Entertainment Network). If anyone remembers the advertisements for Wireplay and Total Annihilation started up in the dot.com bust of 20-01 and that the technology, didn't have time to mature like it is, these days with Twitch TV, Youtube and or Steam and maybe Twitter & Facebook.

Jesse Schell: Visions of the Gamepocalypse from The Long Now Foundation on FORA.tv
I keep looking at this talk on FORA TV.

Especially THIS ONE!

Maybe ABC should re-check its verdict.

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