Background and aims: The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the available literature on the relationship between gaming motivations and gaming disorder symptoms. Specifically, to (1) explore what gaming motivation questionnaires and classifications are used in studies on gaming disorder symptoms and (2) investigate the relationship between motivational factors and symptoms of gaming disorder. Method: An electronic database search was conducted via EBSCO (MEDLINE and PsycINFO) and the Web of Science Core Collection. All studies using validated measurements on gaming disorder symptoms and gaming motivations and available correlation coefficients of the relationship between gaming disorder and gaming motivations were included. The meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model. Results: In total, 49 studies (k = 58 independent sub-samples), including 51,440 participants, out of which 46 studies (k = 55 sub-samples, n = 49,192 participants) provided data for the meta-analysis. The synthesis identified fourteen different gaming motivation instruments, seven unique motivation models, and 26 motivational factors. The meta-analysis showed statistically significant associations between gaming disorder symptoms and 23 out of 26 motivational factors, with the majority of the pooled mean effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. Moreover, large heterogeneity was observed, and the calculated prediction intervals indicated substantial variation in effects across populations and settings. Motivations related to emotional escape were robustly associated with gaming disorder symptoms. Discussion and conclusions: The present meta-analysis reinforces the importance of motivational factors in understanding problematic gaming behavior. The analysis showed significant heterogeneity in most outcomes, warranting further investigation.

Introduction: The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) by the American Psychiatric Association and Gaming Disorder in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization requires consistent psychological measures for reliable estimates. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT), the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10), and the Five-Item Gaming Disorder Test (GDT-5) and to compare the WHO and the APA frameworks of gaming disorder symptoms in terms of psychopathological symptoms, life satisfaction, and personality traits.

Methods: A sample of 723 Swedish gamers was recruited (29.8% women, 68.3% men, 1.9% other, Mage = 29.50 years, SD = 8.91).

Results: The results indicated notable differences regarding the estimated possible risk groups between the two frameworks. However, the association between gaming disorder symptoms and personality traits, life satisfaction, and psychopathological symptoms appeared consistent across the two frameworks. The results showed excellent psychometric properties in support of the one-factor model of the GDT, IGDT-10, and GDT-5, including good reliability estimates (McDonald's omega) and evidence of construct validity. Additionally, the results demonstrated full gender and age measurement invariance of the GDT, IGDT-10, and GDT-5, indicating that gaming disorder symptoms are measured equally across the subgroups.

Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that the IGDT-10, GDT-5, and GDT are appropriate measures for assessing gaming disorder symptoms and facilitating future research in Sweden.

The increasing interest in digital games and the reasons behind their popularity worldwide warrants further psychometric investigation of motivation factors for engagement in digital games. The present study aimed to validate the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ) in a Swedish sample and compare the associations between the seven motivational factors and gaming disorder symptoms across the American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization diagnostic frameworks. Furthermore, considering the utility of more concise psychological measures, a 14-item version of the MOGQ was developed (MOGQ-14). A sample of 678 Swedish video game players (68.4% men, 29.7% women, and 1.9% other, Mage = 29.5 years, range 15 to 66) were included in the analyses after participating in an online survey. The analyses revealed that the Swedish version of the MOGQ had good psychometric properties. All MOGQ factors showed good reliability (McDonald’s omega), and all intercorrelations among the MOGQ dimensions were consistent with previous findings. The results showed that, on average, men reported higher gaming motivations concerning competition than women. The relationships between six gaming motivation factors (social, escape, competition, coping, skill development, fantasy) and gaming disorder symptoms were consistent with previous research. Findings indicated that the relationship between motivations (escape and recreation) and gaming disorder symptoms varied across APA and WHO diagnostic frameworks, depending on the motivation scale used (MOGQ or MOGQ-14). Recreation significantly differed in its relationship with symptoms when using MOGQ, and the MOGQ-14 showed larger effect sizes in the WHO framework for escape and recreation motivations.