The relationship between self-control and internet gaming disorder and problematic social networking site use: the mediation effects of internet use motives

The study investigates how trait self-control relates to two forms of problematic internet behaviors—Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and problematic social networking site use (PSNSU)—and whether general internet use motives mediate these relationships. Grounded in Compensatory Internet Use Theory and the I-PACE model, the authors posit that both general characteristics (self-control) and specific motives (enhancement, social, coping, conformity, utility) interact to influence IGD and PSNSU. The research addresses why some highly engaged internet users do not develop addictive problems and whether mechanisms differ between IGD and PSNSU, including potential gender and cultural differences. Hypotheses: (H1) Self-control exerts an indirect effect on IGD through internet use motives; (H2) Self-control exerts an indirect effect on PSNSU through internet use motives; (H3) Mediation effects differ by gender for both IGD and PSNSU.

Prior work links low self-control with higher risk of internet addiction and IGD, and high self-control with better adjustment and long-term goal pursuit. The I-PACE model emphasizes interactions among vulnerabilities, motives, and situational factors in the development of behavioral addictions. Motivational frameworks, adapted from alcohol-use motives (positive/negative valence; internal/external sources), categorize internet use motives as enhancement (positive-internal), social (positive-external), coping (negative-internal), and conformity (negative-external), with an added utility/instrumental motive reflecting the Internet’s tool function. Motivations are consistently implicated in problematic internet behaviors, with evidence that coping and conformity relate to problematic SNS use and that specific gaming motives mediate between risk factors and IGD. Gender differences are well-documented: males show higher prevalence of gaming disorder and different motivational profiles (e.g., achievement, fantasy), while females may emphasize escape/experience and face distinct stressors (e.g., harassment), implying potential gender-specific mediation patterns. The study extends prior work by examining general internet use motives (capturing both direct and indirect gaming involvement) as mediators between self-control and both IGD and PSNSU, and by testing gender and cultural differences.

Design and participants: Cross-sectional online survey of 697 university students (300 Japan; 397 China). Gender: 235 males (36.6%), 460 females (63.1%). Recruitment used convenience sampling via Wenjuanxing (China) and iBRIDGE (Japan). Participation was voluntary, anonymous, with informed consent. Ethics approvals obtained from the University of Tsukuba and institutional authorities in China. Measures: (1) Gaming Disorder Scale for Adolescents (13 core items scored on 5-point Likert scales; total 0–36; higher scores indicate more severe GD; clinical suspicion thresholds for subscales and duration specified). (2) Addictive Tendencies Toward SNSs scale (20 items, 5-point Likert; adapted from Young’s Internet Addiction Test by Wu et al.; total 20–100; higher scores indicate stronger PSNSU tendency; conventional cutoffs 20–49 average, 50–100 addictive tendency). (3) Internet Usage Motivation Scale (Rosell et al.): 20 items spanning five motives—enhancement (positive-internal), social (positive-external), coping (negative-internal), conformity (negative-external), utility (instrumental/tool use); subscale alphas 0.88–0.91. (4) Self-Control Scale (Tangney et al.; Japanese version by Ozaki & Goto); 5-point Likert; Cronbach’s alpha = .75. Translation and cultural adaptation: Professional translation among Chinese, Japanese, English; reviewed by native speakers; cultural adaptation and pilot testing in both contexts. Procedure and analysis: Checked normality via skewness/kurtosis; computed Spearman correlations among self-control, motives, IGD, PSNSU. Conducted path analyses (Mplus 8.9; maximum likelihood) to estimate direct and indirect effects of self-control on IGD and PSNSU via motives, with bootstrapped/Monte Carlo CIs for mediation. Multi-group path models estimated separately by gender (male N=235; female N=460). Wald tests compared path coefficients across gender and, additionally, across country (Japan vs China). Descriptive statistics and t/χ² tests conducted in SPSS v28.

Sample profile: 43.0% Japan (N=300), 57.0% China (N=397). Daily internet use: majority 4–10 h/day. Gender differences: males had higher self-control (41.60 vs 40.54; t=2.06, p=0.04), higher IGD scores (19.86 vs 18.61; t=2.11, p<0.05); females had higher PSNSU (47.92 vs 43.02; t=-3.93, p<0.01), higher enhancement (t=-2.47, p=0.01) and utility motives (t=-2.12, p=0.03). Correlations (overall N≈695): self-control negatively correlated with all motives, IGD, and PSNSU; motives correlated positively with PSNSU (r≈.47–.53) and variably with IGD (r≈.08–.42). Path models—male group: self-control negatively predicted motives (enhancement β=-0.408; social β=-0.336; coping β=-0.440; utility β=-0.354; conformity β=-0.367; all p<0.001). IGD associations: lower with enhancement (β=-0.235, p=0.002), higher with social (β=0.269, p=0.002) and conformity (β=0.318, p<0.001). PSNSU associations: higher with social (β=0.212, p=0.009) and conformity (β=0.336, p<0.001). Direct effects: self-control→IGD β=-0.261 (p<0.001); self-control→PSNSU β=-0.275 (p<0.001). Indirect (mediation) to IGD: via enhancement β=0.096 (p=0.005), via social β=-0.090 (p=0.007), via conformity β=-0.117 (p=0.001); coping and utility paths ns. Indirect to PSNSU: via social β=-0.071 (p=0.016), via conformity β=-0.124 (p<0.001); enhancement, coping, utility ns. Total indirect effects: IGD -0.093 (p=0.025); PSNSU -0.197 (p<0.001). R²: IGD 0.340; PSNSU 0.454. Path models—female group: self-control negatively predicted motives (enhancement β=-0.410; social β=-0.198; coping β=-0.327; utility β=-0.290; conformity β=-0.257; all p<0.001). IGD associations: lower with enhancement (β=-0.224, p<0.001), higher with social (β=0.193, p=0.002), coping (β=0.136, p=0.018), conformity (β=0.294, p<0.001). PSNSU associations: higher with enhancement (β=0.161, p=0.002), coping (β=0.099, p=0.041), conformity (β=0.234, p<0.001); social marginal (β=0.076, p=0.087). Direct effects: self-control→IGD β=-0.240 (p<0.001); self-control→PSNSU β=-0.305 (p<0.001). Indirect to IGD: enhancement β=0.092 (p=0.001), social β=-0.038 (p=0.005), coping β=-0.045 (p=0.024), conformity β=-0.075 (p<0.001); utility ns; total indirect IGD ns (β=-0.037, p=0.170). Indirect to PSNSU: via enhancement β=-0.066 (p=0.003), coping β=-0.032 (p=0.047), conformity β=-0.060 (p<0.001); social, utility ns. Total indirect PSNSU: β=-0.192 (p<0.001). R²: IGD 0.254; PSNSU 0.476. Gender comparisons (Wald tests): social→self-control more negative in males than females (DRFF=-0.096, p=0.024); conformity→self-control more negative in males (DRFF=-0.072, p=0.046). Enhancement→PSNSU differed strongly (male -0.12 vs female 0.74; DRFF=-0.859, p=0.042). Cultural comparisons (Japan vs China): social→self-control more negative in China (DRFF=0.092, p=0.028). Self-control→PSNSU stronger negative in China (DRFF=0.327, p=0.039). Coping→PSNSU positive in Japan vs negligible/negative in China (DRFF=1.166, p=0.001). Additional note: Daily internet use duration did not directly relate to increased IGD or PSNSU in path models.

Findings support that self-control is inversely related to IGD and PSNSU and that internet use motives explain part of these relationships, with patterns differing by outcome and gender. H1 was partially supported: self-control’s indirect effects on IGD via motives were robust in males and present but not collectively significant in total for females. H2 was supported: both direct and indirect effects of self-control on PSNSU emerged in both genders, with overall stronger predictive power of motives for PSNSU than for IGD, consistent with the socially embedded and technology-reliant nature of SNSs. H3 was supported: mediation patterns varied by gender—e.g., enhancement acted protectively for IGD but risk-enhancing for PSNSU especially among females; social and conformity motives showed stronger negative links with self-control in males. The enhancement motive’s opposite associations (negative with IGD; positive with PSNSU) may reflect differences in sources of excitement (game enjoyment vs self-presentation on SNS). Coping mediated relations more consistently for PSNSU and for female IGD, aligning with compensatory use for negative affect. Utility did not mediate, possibly due to its instrumental nature among university students. Cultural differences suggest contextual modulation of how motives and self-control relate to PSNSU. Overall, focusing on motivational profiles and gender/cultural context can refine prevention and intervention strategies for problematic internet behaviors.

This study delineates how self-control and distinct internet use motives interact to influence IGD and PSNSU among Chinese and Japanese university students. Self-control exerted significant indirect effects on IGD via enhancement, social, and conformity motives in males, and consistent direct and indirect effects on PSNSU in both genders, with motives explaining more variance for PSNSU. Gender- and culture-specific patterns underscore the need for tailored approaches: reducing conformity/peer-pressure dynamics, addressing social motives in gaming (particularly for males), and managing enhancement/self-presentation and coping motives in SNS use (notably for females). Future research should employ longitudinal and experimental designs, expand to other forms of problematic internet use (e.g., gambling, shopping, pornography), and further probe cultural factors influencing motive–behavior pathways.

Key limitations include: (1) convenience sampling via online panels may bias toward heavier internet users; (2) cross-sectional design precludes causal inference; (3) reliance on self-report may introduce response and recall biases; (4) data collection during COVID-19—when internet use was elevated—may inflate associations between motives and IGD/PSNSU; (5) some analyses indicated slight discrepancies in usable N due to missing data; (6) although both Chinese and Japanese samples were included, not all potential between-country differences were fully explored. Future studies should use longitudinal/experimental methods, multi-informant or behavioral measures, and examine broader forms of problematic internet use.