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Fighting the Scourge of Gaming Addiction
speby writes: "With the growing popularity of LAN parties and other such channels to game (which the article at Wired doesn't mention) is it possible that gaming has become a real addiction? How can a person become addicted? And why?"
We've had this out on Slashdot several times before in the last few years: apparently playing video games dumps a load of dopamine into the brain. This effects men in particular. Dopamine is an extremely addictive drug. A quick search on Google for "dopamine video games" returns lots of links to many reputable web sites.
I know from own experiences on and off since I was a teenager how bad this addiction can be. It degenerates to the point where you have to have a "quick fix" of a game so that you can get on with other things. Without playing, you completely lose your ability to concentrate on other things. I remember when Quake2 was popular at the office: as the day wore on, the people involved became less and less productive as they waited for 5pm to roll around and the games could begin. Some people were so bad that they couldn't even come to work without first having a game on heat.net (RIP).
Signs of addiction:
Late, frequently, because one can't pull oneself away from the same activity.
Broke or deeply in debt, because all one's capital goes into support of the activity.
Deceptive, distorting truth or outright lying to cover signs others observe and ask questions about.
Denial, all of the above are evident, but failing to accept that it's a problem.
It's not an invention of psychologists. It's real and addiction to games, as much as drugs, alcohol, or any of a thousand other interests or passtimes has ruined lives.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The psychology that motivates gamers has been thoroughly studied, as basically the more addicitive a game is, the more successful it is. Gamasutra has an a related article on Behavioral Game Design which is a high level overview of how to think in order to effectively lure in your audience.
I've wasted a good half a year on an old school text based MUD, and as such stay completely away from EverCrack et al. as I just can't afford to devote my time to virtual characters.
Substance Dependence (Link)
A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:
(1) tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
(a) a need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve Intoxication or desired effect (b) markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance
(2) Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
(a) the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance (refer to Criteria A and B of the criteria sets for Withdrawal from the specific substances)
(b) the same (or a closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms
(3) the substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended
(4) there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use
(5) a great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance (e.g., visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), use the substance (e.g., chain-smoking), or recover from its effects
(6) important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use
(7) the substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (e.g., current cocaine use despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression, or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption)
I'm sure you can all imagine situations where any or all of the above criteria would fit.
The book you speak of is most likely the DMS-IV. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
As for OCD and addictive personalities? Well, first the evidence in the literature for an "addictive personality" is very slim. There is no listing for it in the DSM-IV. It's a pop psychology term that early researchers looked in vain for. There is some research that says early childhood hyperactivity may be linked to alcoholism (Hechtman et al., 1984) Same with antisocial personality disorder (Jones, 1968). But not an "addictive personality" type. You're sure to find lots about "addictive personalities" in the self help section though.. lucrative biz that is. Do a search for it and most of the sites you're likely to find are not research sites, but sites selling self help books.
Like most issues in life, it's a mix between many things. In this case environmental to a large degree and genetic to a smaller degree.
Josh
geek w/ a cog. sci. degree. But that shouldn't stop you from doing the research yourself.
ye old references:
Hechtman L, Weiss G, Perlman T (1984), Young adult outcome of hyperactive children who received long-term stimulant treatment. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 23:26 1-269
Jones, M.C. (1968). Personality correlates and antecedents of drinking patterns in adult males. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,32 2-12.
thanks
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so i says to mable, i says