DataSheet_1_The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Problem Gaming Among Adolescents: A Nationally Representative Survey Study.docx

Explanatory theoretical models have proposed an association between problematic online gaming and abilities or strategies in alleviating distress or negative emotions in times of stress as proximal non-gaming-related personality factors. However, there is little research that has targeted how emotion regulation relates to problematic online gaming—especially during adolescence when gaming behavior is most prevalent. In emotion regulation research, there has been a particular emphasis on rumination because it is strongly associated with overall psychopathology. However, it is unknown whether this putatively maladaptive strategy relates to problematic online gaming and whether it is a gender-dependent association. Consequently, the present study examined how emotion regulation strategies, and particularly rumination, related to problem gaming and tested whether gender moderated this relationship in adolescents. In a national representative adolescent sample, 46.9% of the participants (N = 1,646) reported online gaming in the past 12 months and provided information on problematic gaming, and it was these data that were used for further analysis. Their data concerning problematic online gaming and emotion regulation strategies were analyzed, including rumination along with other putatively maladaptive (e.g., catastrophizing) and adaptive (e.g., positive reappraisal) strategies, while controlling for age, gender, and game genre preference. Results of linear regression analyses showed that all the putatively maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (including self-blame, other blame, catastrophizing, and rumination) were positively related to problematic online gaming. Positive reappraisal proved to be a protective factor; it was inversely related to problematic online gaming. In addition, the relationship between rumination and online gaming was moderated by gender (i.e., the relationship was stronger among boys). Based on the results, it is argued that emotion regulation is a useful framework to study problematic online gaming. The present study highlighted that the relative predictive value of rumination for problematic online gaming varied for boys and girls, suggesting that trait rumination might be a gender-specific vulnerability factor for problematic online gaming, but this requires further investigation and replication.

已有解释性理论模型提出，作为近端非游戏相关人格因素，问题性网络游戏（problematic online gaming）与个体在压力情境下缓解痛苦或负性情绪的能力及策略存在关联。然而，鲜有研究聚焦于情绪调节与问题性网络游戏之间的关联，尤其是在游戏行为最为普遍的青少年群体中。在情绪调节研究领域，反刍思维（rumination）受到了特别的关注，因其与整体精神病理学特征密切相关。然而，目前尚不清楚这种被认为适应不良的策略是否与问题性网络游戏相关，以及这种关联是否存在性别依赖性。因此，本研究探讨了情绪调节策略（尤其是反刍思维）与问题性网络游戏之间的关联，并检验了性别是否会在青少年群体中对这一关系起到调节作用。在一项全国代表性青少年样本中，46.9%的参与者（N=1646）报告在过去12个月内有网络游戏行为，并提供了问题性游戏相关信息，本研究即采用这些数据开展进一步分析。研究对参与者的问题性网络游戏及情绪调节策略相关数据进行了分析，涵盖反刍思维以及其他被认为适应不良的策略（如灾难化思维（catastrophizing））与适应性策略（如积极重评（positive reappraisal）），同时控制了年龄、性别与游戏类型偏好这几个变量。线性回归分析结果显示，所有被认为适应不良的情绪调节策略（包括自我责备、责备他人、灾难化思维与反刍思维）均与问题性网络游戏呈正相关。积极重评则被证实为保护因素，其与问题性网络游戏呈负相关。此外，性别对反刍思维与网络游戏之间的关联起到了调节作用（即该关联在男性青少年中更为显著）。基于上述研究结果，本研究认为情绪调节是研究问题性网络游戏的有效分析框架。本研究还指出，反刍思维对问题性网络游戏的相对预测价值在男女青少年中存在差异，这表明特质性反刍思维可能是问题性网络游戏的性别特异性易感因素，但该结论仍需进一步研究与验证。