The effect of perceived parental acceptance/ rejection on internet gaming disorder and the mediating and moderating effects of core self evaluations

Abstract

The current study examines (i) the association between Parental Acceptance/Rejection (PARTheory) and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and (ii) the mediating and moderating effect of Core Self-Evaluations (CSE), a personality construct, on the above variables. The study involved (N=172) young adults, who were members of various Greek online gaming communities. The results showed that parental rejection is associated with the occurrence of IGD, only through the mediating effect of Core Self Evaluations. The moderation model between the above variables was not confirmed. Following the biopsychosocial model, findings bridge early emotional deficits with personality traits of CSE and the young adults’ reports of pathological gaming use, based on two widely acknowledged theoretical frameworks, the CSE and PARTheory. These frameworks combine cognitive and psychodynamic perspectives in relation to IGD. Implications of these results for improving the understanding of the phenomenon and for therapeutic interventions is discussed and directions for future research are provided.