Gaming disorder and compensation-based gaming motivations: A longitudinal study of emerging adults

Gaming motivations are central to understanding why individuals engage in video games and why some develop problematic patterns. However, while longitudinal studies are emerging, cross-sectional work still predominates, leaving dynamic processes underexplored. This study examined how gratification- and compensation-related gaming motivations predict the development of Gaming Disorder (GD) among emerging adults.

We conducted a three-wave, pre-registered longitudinal survey with 438 emerging adults, each wave spaced three months apart. GD severity was measured with the IGDS9-SF, and motivations (Coping, Escape, Fantasy, Identity, Introjected Regulation) were assessed using the Gaming Motivation Inventory. Cross-lagged panel models (CLPM) and random-intercept CLPM (RI-CLPM) were employed to separate between-person stability from within-person dynamics.

Concurrent associations showed that all motivations correlated positively with GD severity at each wave. Longitudinally, compensation-related motivations (Coping and Escape) demonstrated delayed reciprocal effects with GD: earlier motivations predicted later GD, and GD subsequently reinforced these motivations. Introjected Regulation showed reciprocal effects in CLPM but not in RI-CLPM, suggesting that they reflected between-person differences rather than within-person change. Gratification-related motivations (Fantasy and Identity) did not predict GD over time.

Findings highlight the dynamic interplay between compensation motivations and GD, consistent with theories emphasizing a shift from gratification to compensation as disorder develops. However, gratification motivations appear to function primarily as common entry points into gaming rather than predictors of disorder. These results underscore the need for longitudinal investigations with sufficient temporal depth to capture how motivational changes interact with contextual and individual factors in the escalation of GD.