Metacognitive beliefs and anxiety symptoms could serve as mediators between fear of missing out and gaming disorder in adolescents

Meng Xuan Zhang; Shu M Yu; Zsolt Demetrovics; Anise M S Wu

doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107775

Metacognitive beliefs and anxiety symptoms could serve as mediators between fear of missing out and gaming disorder in adolescents

Addict Behav. 2023 Oct:145:107775. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107775. Epub 2023 Jun 12.

Authors

Meng Xuan Zhang¹, Shu M Yu², Zsolt Demetrovics³, Anise M S Wu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Humanities, School of Humanities, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Psychological Research & Education Center, School of Humanities, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
² Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar.
³ Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China; Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China. Electronic address: anisewu@um.edu.mo.

PMID: 37336094
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107775

Abstract

Given the vulnerability to and prevalence of emotional problems and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) in adolescents, this study aimed to test the effects of fear of missing out (FoMO) on IGD and the mediating roles of metacognitive beliefs and anxiety symptoms based on the self-regulatory executive function (S-REF) model. At a Chinese high school, 283 participants (M_age = 16.89 years old; girls = 42.0%) with past-year gaming experience voluntarily completed an anonymous paper-and-pencil questionnaire. FoMO showed significant, positive associations with IGD, anxiety symptoms, and metacognitive beliefs. Results of path analysis showed a significant direct effect of FoMO on IGD, whereas anxiety symptoms mediated the relationship between FoMO and IGD. The indirect effects of FoMO on IGD via serial mediations of three negative metacognitive beliefs (i.e., negative beliefs about worry, low cognitive confidence, and beliefs regarding need for control) and anxiety symptoms were also statistically significant. These findings demonstrated that maladaptive metacognitive beliefs and anxiety are risk-enhancing mediators in the relationship between FoMO and IGD. Therefore, metacognitive therapy, particularly for regulating those three specific significant metacognitive beliefs, is recommended for treating IGD and anxiety, especially for those with higher levels of FoMO.

Keywords: Adolescents; Anxiety symptoms; Fear of missing out; Internet gaming disorder; Mediation; Metacognitive beliefs.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Anxiety
Behavior, Addictive* / psychology
Executive Function
Fear
Female
Humans
Internet
Metacognition*
Video Games*