Cross-Lagged Analysis of Gender Differences in the Motivation-Cognition-Behavior Model of Gaming Disorder in Primary School Students

Abstract

The motivation-cognition-behavior model elucidates the intricate psychological mechanisms that contribute to gaming disorder (GD). To test this new model, the present study employed cross-lagged analysis to investigate the reciprocal relationships among academic stress, gaming flow, maladaptive gaming cognition (MGC), and GD symptoms at two time points, 3 months apart. The participants were 600 Chinese students (52% male; Mage = 9.95) from four primary schools in Hong Kong. The multi-group analysis showed significant gender differences. For girls, there were one linear relationship (MGC to academic stress) and two reciprocal relationships (MGC and GD symptoms, MGC and gaming flow). For boys, there were four linear relationships (MGC to gaming flow, GD symptoms to MGC, gaming flow to academic stress, and academic stress to MGC) but no reciprocal relationships. These findings highlight the complex mechanisms underlying GD development among children, and the importance of considering gender-specific factors in intervention design for this age group.