[Video games: are the motivations and intensity of use changing with age? Comparison between a population of adolescent and adult gamers].
Despite the popularity of video games, few studies have been conducted in France on their use. The objective of this study was to gather data from a sample of French video game players to learn more about this population. This approach also aimed to examine whether differences exist between adolescent and adult gamers in terms of their motivations to play and whether this practice met the criteria for problem video game playing. A questionnaire collecting sociodemographic data and assessing the problems associated with the use of video games, as well as motivations to play, was distributed during a video game festival and on the Internet. A total of 778 people responded to the questionnaire. The results showed that there were few differences between adolescent and adult gamers. Both groups had an intense video game habit. The majority of them sometimes had the feeling of losing control of their use and sacrificed other activities to play video games. This last dimension was most frequently cited by adults. The feeling of spending more time playing was most frequently cited by adolescents. Concerning motivations to play, the two groups differed only on the score of the "social" dimension, significantly higher among adolescents.
Institut fédératif des addictions comportementales, pôle hospitalo-universitaire de psychiatrie et de santé mentale, hôpital Saint-Jacques, 85, rue Saint-Jacques, 44093 Nantes cedex 1, France. Electronic address: julie.caillon@chu-nantes.fr.
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Caillon
Institut fédératif des addictions comportementales, pôle hospitalo-universitaire de psychiatrie et de santé mentale, hôpital Saint-Jacques, 85, rue Saint-Jacques, 44093 Nantes cedex 1, France; EA 4275 biostatistique, recherche clinique et mesures subjectives en santé, UFR de pharmacie, 1, rue Gaston-Veil, BP 53508, 44035 Nantes cedex 1, France.
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Bouju
Institut fédératif des addictions comportementales, pôle hospitalo-universitaire de psychiatrie et de santé mentale, hôpital Saint-Jacques, 85, rue Saint-Jacques, 44093 Nantes cedex 1, France; EA 4275 biostatistique, recherche clinique et mesures subjectives en santé, UFR de pharmacie, 1, rue Gaston-Veil, BP 53508, 44035 Nantes cedex 1, France.
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Grall-Bronnec
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult