Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistance Professor of Social Science Studies and Development of Women's Research center, AlZahra University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Master's Degree from Department of General Psychology, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.

3 Master's Degree of the Islamic Azad University of Iran, Department of Clinical Psychology, Arak, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction
Online games are one of the types of computer and smart games that have become widespread due to the increasing familiarity of people, especially young people, with the Internet, the increase in Internet speeds, as well as access to smart devices. The high appeal of online games and the prevalence of addiction have brought them to the attention of experts. Cell phones and tablets. Online gaming addiction is considered to be obsessive, extreme, uncontrollable, and physically and psychologically destructive behavior. The present study is an online gaming addiction based on communication skills and feelings of loneliness with a mediating role. Adaptation in adolescents during the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Method
The current research design is the modeling of structural equations. The statistical population of the present study was all students aged 12 to 18 in Tehran. The method for selecting these subjects was that after receiving the letter of recommendation and after coordinating with the General Directorate of Education of Tehran Province, they went to the Directorate of Education of five and six districts and randomly selected 2 schools from each district. 1st and 2nd graders of high school were selected between the months of November and February 2019 and answered the research online questionnaires, from a total of 700 subjects became 400 people who used the games online using a multi-stage sampling method. They chose the communication skills questionnaire by Crockett, Russell, et al. and answered him. Wang and Chang's Feeling of Loneliness, Wang and Chang's Online Gambling Addiction Quiz, and Sinha and Singh's Compatibility Quiz.
 
Result
The collected data were analyzed with the correlation coefficient and the structural equation model. Skills and adaptation to online gaming addiction (P≥0.001). Likewise, there is a positive and significant association between loneliness and addiction to online gaming (P≥0.001). In addition, structural equation modeling results showed that 25% of the variance in adaptation is explained by communication skills and loneliness, and 32% of the variance in online gaming addiction is explained by communication skills, loneliness, and adaptation.
 
Conclusion
According to the results, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to reduce feelings of loneliness and improve the communication skills of family, school, and education officials, so that students are less involved in online games. The correlation coefficient and structural equation model results showed that feeling lonely positively and significantly affects online gambling addiction. o modeledt. In addition, the results showed that loneliness directly negatively impacts online gambling addiction through adaptation. The results of this study confirm the relationship between loneliness and poor communication skills with online gaming addiction.
 

Keywords

Adlkhah, S., Faramarzi, S., & Aghaei, A. (2021). Comparison of the effectiveness of parent-child communication therapy and parent-child interaction therapy on communication skills and social adjustment in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Psychological Achievements, 28(1), 25-48. [Persian]
Bagheri Sheykhangafshe, F., Sharifipour Choukami, Z., Tajbakhsh, K., Hamideh Moghadam, A., & Hajialiani, V. (2022). Relationship between social networks, cognitive flexibility and anxiety sensitivity in predicting students' corona phobia. Journal of Psychological Achievements, 29(1), 210-228. [Persian]
Burger, J. M. (1993). Personality theories. New York: Wadsworth inc. (3rd ed.) Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Ceylan, E. A., & Mocan, D. K. (2017). Investigation of pre-school teachers’ communication skills. National Education, 215, 111-127.
Fischer, P., Kastenmüller, A., & Greitemeyer, T. (2010). Media violence and the self: The impact of personalized gaming characters in aggressive video games on aggressive behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(1), 192-195.
Göldağ, B. (2018). The Investigation of the digital play dependency levels of high school students concerning demographic characteristics. YYU Journal of Education Faculty, 15(1), 1287-1315.
Higuchi, S., Nakayama, H., Mihara, S., Maezono, M., Kitayuguchi, T., & Hashimoto, T. (2017). Inclusion of gaming disorder criteria in ICD-11: A clinical perspective in favor. Journal of behavioral addictions, 6(3), 293–295.
Lemmens, J. S., Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2012). Development and validation of a game addiction scale for adolescents. Media Psychology, 12, 77–95.
Mirzayi, O., Vaghei, S., & Koushan, M. (2010). The effect of communicative skills on the perceived stress of nursing students. Journal of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, 17(2), 88-95. [Persian]
Naderi, F., & Haghshenas, F. (2009). The relationship between impulsivity and loneliness with the rate of cell phone use in students. New Findings in Psychology, 4 (12), 111-121. [Persian]
Russell, D. W. (1996). UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment66(1), 20-40.
Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Ferguson M. L. (1978). Developing a measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42(3), 290-294.
Ryan, T., & Xenos, S. (2011). Who uses Facebook? An investigation into the relationship between the Big Five, shyness, narcissism, loneliness, and Facebook usage. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(5), 1658-1664.
Sarason, E. J., & Sarason, B. (2009). Psychological psychology: The problem of non-adoptive behavior. Translation Bahman Najjarian. Tehran: Roshd Publishing. [Persian]
Sawari, K., & Bashledeh, K. (2011). The relationship of shyness and loneliness with Internet addiction. Journal of Psychological Achievement, 19(2), 199-212. [Persian]
Sinha, A. K., & Singh, R. P. (2013). Manual of Adjustment Inventory for School Students (AISS). Agra: National Psychological Corporation.
Spilkova, J., Chomynova, P., & Csemy, L. (2017). Predictors of excessive use of social media and excessive online gaming in Czech teenagers. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 6, 611–619.
Tsur, N., Stein, J. Y., Levin, Y., Siegel, A., & Solomon, Z. (2019). Loneliness and subjective physical health among war veterans: Long term reciprocal effects. Social Science & Medicine, 234, 112373.
Wang, J. L., Sheng, J. R., & Wang, H. Z. (2019). The association between mobile game addiction and depression, social anxiety, and loneliness. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 1-6.
Whang, L., & Chang, Y. (2002). Psychological analysis of online game users. Hum-Comput Interact, 2, 329-333.
Young, K. (1996). Internet addiction: The emergence of a new clinical disorder. CyberPsychology Behaviour, 1(3) 237-244.
Zatrahadi, M., Darmawati D., & Yusra, N. (2021). The Effect of Online Game Addiction on Adjustment Social in Adolescents. Indonesian Journal of Creative Counseling, 1(1), 15-19.