Sociopsychological Determinants and Internet Gaming Disorder Among Online Gamers: The Mediating Role of In-Game Content Purchase Intention

The number of internet gamers and money spent on online games is increasing dramatically under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the role of in-game content purchase intention as the mediator between sociopsychological determinants and internet gaming disorder. 410 internet gamers aged 15 to 40 who purchased in-game content were recruited. The Socio-psychological Determinants Checklist (SPCL-15), In-game Content Purchase Intention Scale (ICPIS), and Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form were used to assess sociopsychological factors, in-game content purchase intention, and gaming addiction. The bootstrap method was used for mediation analysis to test the relationship between sociopsychological determinants and internet gaming disorder through in-game content purchase intention. The findings revealed that there were significant correlations between sociopsychological determinants and internet gaming disorder, as well as in-game content purchase intention. The intermediary analysis discovered that in-game content purchase intention was a mediator between sociopsychological determinants and internet gaming disorder. Intervention and policy for internet gaming should be addressed as preventive measures on internet gaming disorder.