Effects of Digital Game Play Among Young Singaporean Gamers: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study

Authors

  • Dongdong Li
  • Hyekyung Choo National University of Singapore
  • Angeline Khoo National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University
  • Albert K. Liau Nanyang Technological University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v5i2.6357

Keywords:

digital game, pathological gaming, academic performance, aggression, empathy

Abstract

Using a large sample of Singaporean children and adolescents from primary and secondary schools, this study provides important results on changes in amount of time spent on gaming and violent content exposure, and the effects of such changes on academic performance, pathological gaming, aggressive cognitions and empathic attitudes.

This study provided support for the hypothesis that excessive gaming was related to poorer academic performance and more pathological symptoms. For example, Stable-Hardcore students reported the lowest academic performance in both waves with a decreasing trend, and Stable-Casual students reported the highest academic performance. There was also a link between high violent game content exposure and greater approval of aggression as well as lower empathic attitudes. Students with constantly low violence exposure reported higher empathic attitudes, and lower acceptability of aggression. Implications of the study were discussed in relation to the treatment of excessive gaming.

Author Biographies

Hyekyung Choo, National University of Singapore

Ph.d

Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Angeline Khoo, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

Ph.d

Psychological Studies, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Albert K. Liau, Nanyang Technological University

Ph.d.

Psychological Studies, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Downloads

Published

2012-08-01

Issue

Section

Research Papers