Pleasure and compulsion in gaming: distinct roles of hedonic and compulsive game use in gaming involvement

Stage-related models of problematic gaming suggest that the relative prominence of reward-oriented and compulsivity-related processes may vary across levels of gaming involvement. However, few studies have jointly examined hedonic and compulsive game use across different levels of gaming involvement while accounting for relevant trait-level vulnerabilities. This study investigated their distinct associations with gaming involvement.

A total of 2259 gamers were included in the cross-sectional analyses, of whom 725 completed a one-year follow-up. Hedonic and compulsive game use, gaming time, and IGD severity were assessed using self-report measures. Cross-sectional multiple regression analyses examined their unique associations after controlling for trait-level vulnerabilities, including reward sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive traits, and trait impulsivity. Two-wave cross-lagged panel models examined prospective longitudinal associations.

Both hedonic and compulsive game use showed unique associations with gaming involvement. Hedonic game use was associated with gaming involvement among non-IGD participants, with a significant group difference observed for IGD severity. Compulsive game use was associated with both gaming time and IGD severity across gaming-status groups. Longitudinally, compulsive game use was associated with subsequent gaming time and IGD severity, whereas hedonic game use was not significantly associated with either outcome. In the opposite direction, greater baseline IGD severity was prospectively associated with greater subsequent compulsive game use.

Hedonic and compulsive game use showed distinct patterns of association with gaming involvement. The stronger relevance of hedonic game use among non-IGD gamers and the broader cross-sectional and prospective associations of compulsive game use are broadly compatible with stage-related theoretical accounts. These findings may help refine the behavioral characterization of problematic gaming and highlight the value of longitudinal research examining how different gaming-specific tendencies relate to the development and persistence of problematic gaming.