Academics from the UK, China, and Australia have worked together to create the first psychological test for Gaming Disorder. The news comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) released its classification of Gaming Disorder as a disease, which was hotly contested by a number of groups from various countries.
The function of the test is to assist users in determining a benchmark of their personal gaming habits and then comparing it with others. After that, users will find out whether they meet the WHO criteria for Gaming Disorder. Currently, the test is described as the largest study of its kind regarding gaming addiction, as it considers a broad range of factors such as socioeconomic conditions and personality traits. Upon completion, users are also provided with a list of motivations and scores with an explanation of how they might impact the user. These may assist users in pinpointing what caused gaming addiction to occur in the first place.
"We want to understand the point at which gaming becomes a health problem, and which factors contribute to the development of gaming disorders, exploring sociodemographic variables, personality, and motivations," said lead researcher Dr. Bruno Schivinski from the University of London. "We hope there will be thousands of participants in the next phase of the study."
The test has certainly arrived in a timely manner. After the WHO released its classification of Gaming Disorder into the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, the backlash was swift from organizations in South Korea, Canada, the US, and parts of Europe. However, these groups generally represent organizations with a vested interest in the video game industry, whereby any form of negative attention to video gaming could mean decreased revenue.
Those who rejected the WHO classification demanded that more research be done before any form of classification is made. They also argued that “encouragement” from family to avoid overindulging is often all that is necessary.
The test is a step in the right direction when it comes to taking the dangers of video game addiction seriously and will hopefully assist to further develop a proper framework for the diagnosis and treatment of Gaming Disorder. While video games are a fast-growing industry and games can be an enjoyable form of entertainment and competition, the darker side of Gaming Disorder, or gaming addiction, should not be swept under the rug.
For those who are interested in seeing whether they might have Gaming Disorder, the test can be accessed here.