Problematic online gaming is a uniquely modern predicament with many unknowns. A search of English-language, peer-reviewed literature identified forty-one problem gaming treatment studies. In those studies, researchers defined problem gaming in different ways, called it by different names, and used different methods to assess the effectiveness of different treatments.
In spite of the variability in diagnostic criteria and study methodology, emerging trends in problem gaming treatment research provide reasons for optimism. A range of pharmaceutical, psychological, and other treatment approaches decreased time spent gaming or reduced the severity of reported symptoms. In time, further research could help to clarify the mechanisms involved in problem gaming, differentiate problem gaming from healthy use, and optimize effective treatment approaches.
Presenter Information
Liz Kyonka is an Assistant Professor of Psychology (Experimental Analysis of Behavior) at California State University, East Bay. Originally from Toronto, she completed an Sc.B. in Cognitive Neuroscience at Brown University and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her research uses schedules of reinforcement to study behavioral mechanisms.
Following this webinar, audience members will able to:
- Compare advantages and disadvantages of commonly used measures of problem gaming.
- Describe evidence that psychological and other treatment approaches for problem gaming can be effective.
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