This document summarizes research on video game usage and addiction among adolescents in Germany. Some key findings include: 1) Video game addiction, as measured by the KFN-CSAS-II scale, affects approximately 2.4% of girls and 21.2% of boys in Germany. 2) Playing video games for more than 2.5 hours per day and preferring violent or online role-playing games increases the risk of addiction. 3) Adolescents addicted to video games report more stress, lower grades, less sleep, and higher rates of suicidal thoughts than casual gamers. 4) Short-term exposure to violent video games can lead to desensitization towards violence

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Kriminologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen
KFN-Survey 2005 (children)
Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony
Germany
Stichprobe Anzahl Anteil in %
total 5.529 100
male 2.759 49,9
Os danos psicológicos causados pelo uso dos videojogos
Psychological risks of video game usage
Psychische Wirkrisiken der Computerspielnutzung
Alter (M) Grade Return quota: 86 %
10,3 4.
Florian Rehbein (Dipl.-Psych.)
2
KFN-Survey 2007/08 (youths)
Stichprobe Anzahl Anteil in % Befragungsgebiete:
total 44.610 100
male 22.545 51,3
1: Background
Age (M) Grade Return quota: 88 %
15,3 9.
3 4
Ownership of screen media among adolescents in
Germany (12-19, JIM-Studies) Video game usage time among adolescents (2000, 2005, 2007/2008)
80
160
Ownership quota (percent)
70 71
140 141
Usage time (minutes)
66 67 66 67
64 64 64
62
60 60 61 60 61 120
57
53 54
50 50 51 100
49 91
46 45 45
42 42 80
40 38 68 Boys
Jungen
37
35
33 34
33 34 35 60 56
32 Mädchen
30 31 31
28 28 Girls
25 40
23
20
20 19 19
10 0
0 2000 2005 2007/2008
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year
Year
(vgl. Mößle et al. 2007, Rehbein et al., 2009, Rehbein, 2010)
TV
Fernseher Gaming
Spielkonsole Computer Internet access
Internetanschluss
consoles
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Video game usage and gender
Top 10 games of girls
(ninth-grade students, 2007/2008)
29,8% Girls
Mädchen Boys
Jungen Rang Titel* Genre USK** N %
1 Die Sims Simulation 0 4853 22,6
24,3% 25,0%
P50 P75 23,2% P90 2 Singstar Partyspiel 0 1471 6,8
19,7% 3 Need for Speed Rennspiel 0 – 12 1042 4,8
18,6%
14,9% 15,8% 4 Solitair Denkspiel 0 779 3,6
5 Super Mario Geschicklichkeit 0–6 620 2,9
10,8%
8,3% 6 Grand Theft Auto Genremix 16 – 18 532 2,5
5,6% 7 Counterstrike Shooterspiel 16 – 18 513 2,4
4,3%
8 FIFA (Fußball) Sportspiel 0 291 1,4
9 Tomb Raider Action- Adventure 12 – 16 273 1,3
No gaming Casual Below Above Regulary Excessive
10 World of Warcraft MMORPG 12 272 1,3
gaming average average
< 1 h / Tag > 1 h / Tag > 2,5 h / Tag > 4,5 h / Tag
7 F. Rehbein - Computerspielabhängigkeit im Jugendalter 8
KFN survey with German 4th-grade students in 2005
Top 10 games of boys (mean age = 10,3 years)
Rang Titel* Genre USK** N %  Experiences with games rated 16+
1 Counterstrike Shooterspiel 16 - 18 6110 27,0 34 % of all children
(Girls: 17 %; Boys: 50 %)
2 FIFA (Fußball) Sportspiel 0 3647 16,1
3 Need for Speed Rennspiel 0 – 12 2581 11,4  Experiences with games rated 18+
4 Grand Theft Auto Genremix 16 – 18 2277 10,1 18 % of all children
(Girls: 7 %; Boys: 29%)
5 World of Warcraft MMORPG 12 2222 9,8
6 Call of Duty Shooterspiel 18 1766 7,8  Playing games rated 16+ or 18+ at the time of the interview
7 Battlefield Shooterspiel 16 1161 5,1 12 % of all children
(Girls: 3 %; Boys: 21 %)
8 Warcraft Strategiespiel 12 1118 4,9
9 Pro Evolution Soccer Sportspiel 0 1092 4,8
10 Guild Wars MMORPG 12 601 2,7
Kriminologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen
Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony
Germany
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Video Game Dependency (www.klicksafe.de)
2: Video Game Dependency
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KFN-CSAS-II
KFN-CSAS-II (Diagnoseinstrument)
(Video Game Dependency Scale)
Einengung des Denkens
preoccupation/salience • 14 Items, 5 dimensions und Verhaltens
• Four-stage response format (1 - 4) Example:
conflict • Range: 14 to 56 Negative Konsequenzen
• Cut-off values: “During the time that I don’t play
loss of control „At Risk“: sum score 35 and above(2 SD) Kontrollverlust video games, in my thoughts I am very
„Dependent“: sum score 42 and above (3 SD) much occupied with games.”
withdrawal symptoms • Item difficulties (1.23 - 1.64) Entzugserscheinungen
• Discriminatory power (> r= .60)
• Cronbachs Alpha = .92
tolerance Toleranzentwicklung
Rehbein, F., Kleimann, M., & Mößle, T. (2010). Prevalence and Risk Factors of Video Game Dependency in Adolescence:
Results of a German Nationwide Survey. CyberPsychology & Behavior, in press.
F. Rehbein - Computerspielabhängigkeit im Jugendalter 13 F. Rehbein - Computerspielabhängigkeit im Jugendalter 14
KFN-CSAS-II (Diagnoseinstrument) KFN-CSAS-II (Diagnoseinstrument)
Einengung des Denkens Einengung des Denkens
und Verhaltens und Verhaltens
Example: Example:
Negative Konsequenzen Negative Konsequenzen
“My school achievement suffers “I have a feeling that I cannot control
Kontrollverlust under my game habits.” Kontrollverlust my gaming time.”
Entzugserscheinungen Entzugserscheinungen
Toleranzentwicklung Toleranzentwicklung
15 16
KFN-CSAS-II (Diagnoseinstrument) KFN-CSAS-II (Diagnoseinstrument)
Einengung des Denkens Einengung des Denkens
und Verhaltens und Verhaltens
Example: Example:
Negative Konsequenzen Negative Konsequenzen
“If I don’t play for quite a while, I “I feel forced to play longer and
Kontrollverlust become restless and nervous.” Kontrollverlust longer to be satisfied.”
Entzugserscheinungen Entzugserscheinungen
Toleranzentwicklung Toleranzentwicklung
17 18
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Psychosocial stress indicators (Boys) Prevalence of VGD in Germany
Stress indicators Main group Extensive P. Dependend P.
(< 2,5 h/Tag) (> 2,5 h/Tag) (SS) >= 42)
Primary validation KFN-Survey 2007/08 Population (843.200)
Online gaming time 26 Min. 159 Min.** 188 Min.**
Offline gaming time 33 Min. 100 Min.** 78 Min.**
Self-assessment VGD (1-6) M = 1.8 M = 2.4** M = 4.8**
Grades at school 5 4,7
German 3.14 3.28** 3.46**
Mathemathics 3.05 3.07ns 3.29** 4
3
Prevalence (%)
History 2.83 2.92** 3.17**
3 2,8 2.400 Girls (10%)
Sports 2.05 2.17** 2.42**
School absenteeism 1,7 21.200 Boys (90%)
2
Skipped lessons 10.1 h 10.0 hns 18.6 h**
Multiple truancy 12.5 % 12.2.%ns 22.4 %** 1 0,5
Motive: video gaming 8.2 % 23.2 %** 63.8 %**
0,3
Health-related factors 0
Time of sleep 7.5 h 7.3 h** 6.9 h** dependent
abhängig at risk
gefährdet
Sleep disturbance 4,1 % 6,1 %** 15,1 %**
1.300 Girls (9%)
No regular leisure-time activities 30.4 % 36.9 %** 44.6 %**
Frequent thoughts of suicide 2.4 % 3.0 %ns 12.3 %** boys
Junge girls
Mädchen total
gesamt 13.000 Boys (91%)
SS = Sum Score. * p < .05, ** p < .01, ns = nicht signifikant
F. Rehbein - Computerspielabhängigkeit im Jugendalter 19 F. Rehbein - Computerspielabhängigkeit im Jugendalter 20
Riskfactor: Prefered game Risikomodell
Logistische Regression zur Vorhersage von Computerspielabhängigkeit (n = 4.727, Spieler)
Imperiled and Dependent Persons among Players of the 10 Most Popular Predictors B Std. Error Exp(B)
Games of Male Adolescents gaming behavior
gaming in terms of dysfunctional coping 1.22** 0.10 3.39
World of Warcraft 11,6 8,5 gaming as source of self-efficacy 0.45** 0.11 1.57
gefährdet
at risk usage of online role-playing game 0.58** 0.20 1.78
Guild Wars 5,8 3,8
abhängig
dependent usage of strategy games 0.17ns 0.21 1.19
Warcraft 8,7 3,8 usage of shooter games 0.06ns 0.23 1.06
social predictors Nagelkerkes
Counterstrike 8,2 4,9 no leisure time successes besides gaming 1.60** 0.32 4.94
R2 = .41
Call of Duty 6,2 4 school related anxieties 0.54** 0.14 1.72
previous repetition of school year 0.50* 0.21 1.65 * p < .05
Battlefield 6,5 4,1 Mean value demographic predictors ** p < .01
dependent male gender 0.39ns 0.36 1.48
Grand Theft Auto 4,5 2,7 players low parental education -0.28ns 0.27 0.76
Pro Evolution S. 3,5 1,9 low youth education 0.22ns 0.22 1.24
psychological predictors
FIFA (Fußball) 2,9 1,2 lower social competence 0.85** 0.31 2.34
Need for Speed 2,8 1,8 impulsiveness 0.31** 0.12 1.36
internalization of violent legitimizing norms 0.27* 0.12 1.31
7.7 ADHS disorder in history -0.02ns 0.28 0.98
0 5 10 15 20 25 depression disorder in history -0.04ns 0.41 0.96
anxiety disorder in history 0.43ns 0.46 1.54
%
frequent physical abuse in childhood 0.59ns 0.39 1.81
21 F. Rehbein - Computerspielabhängigkeit im Jugendalter 22
Videosequences of violent video games
3: Violent video games
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Short-Term-Effects (General Aggression Model ) Desensitization
Desensitization = Reduction of emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses
on violent media
Phase 1: Scenes from a violent game (e.g., headshot) cause aversion or disgust.
Phase 2: Scenes become less annoying. Handling of the game becomes easier.
Phase 3: In the absence of becoming annoyed the sense and the rating of
violence changes. A „headshot“ becomes a normal goal of the game.
Transfer-phase: The adaption of game violence leads to a lower reaction on real-
life violence. (Bartholow et al., 2006; Carnagey et al., 2007).
In the long run this leads to lower empathy and lower compassion for casualties
of real-life violence (see Funk et al., 2004; Möller, 2006).
Kriminologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen
Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony
Germany
Violent video game and aggressiveness Longitudinal Study: Möller et al, 2009
N = 143 students (T1: 13 years, T2: 16 years)
(Meta-analysis, 54 independent samples, Anderson & Bushman, 2001)
Longitudinal Study: Möller et al, 2009
N = 143 students (T1: 13 years, T2: 16 years) Another Longitudinal Study (Hopf, Huber & Weiß, 2008)
N = 314 students(T1: 12 years, T2: 14,7 years)
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Thank you for your attention!!!
Rehbein, F., Kleimann, M., & Mößle, T. (2010). Prevalence and Risk
Factors of Video Game Dependency in Adolescence: Results of a
Research team KFN-survey 2007/2008: German Nationwide Survey. CyberPsychology & Behavior, in press.
Rehbein, F., Kleimann, M., & Mößle, T. (2009).
Dirk Baier (Dipl.-Soziologe)
Exzessives Computerspielen und Computerspielabhängigkeit im
Jugendalter: Ergebnisse einer deutschlandweiten
Susann Rabold (Soziologin, M.A.) Repräsentativbefragung. Die Psychiatrie, 6, 140-146.
Dr. Julia Simonson (Dipl.-Soziologin) Further information to our overall project “Media usage and school
achievement“ you will find on our homepage: www.kfn.de
Florian Rehbein (Dipl.-Psych.)
frehbein@kfn.uni-hannover.de
Matthias Kleimann (Dipl.-Medienwiss.)
mkleimann@kfn.uni-hannover.de
Dr. Thomas Mößle (Dipl.-Psych.)
moessle@kfn.uni-hannover.de
31 F. Rehbein - Computerspielabhängigkeit im Jugendalter 32
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