Why Time Spent Gaming Isn’t Enough To Predict Addiction, New Research Shows

A new study found that high-risk gamers, who may be developing problematic gaming habits, show very different attention patterns compared to esports players, even though both groups spend a similar amount of time gaming.

The research, published in Computers in Human Behavior, used eye-tracking technology to reveal how gamers focus on gaming-related images.

“This study was motivated by our observations of two seemingly similar yet psychologically distinct groups: esports gamers and high-risk gamers,” explained study authors Shan-Mei Chang and Zheng-Hong Guan, as reported by Psy Post.

“While both groups spend comparable amounts of time gaming, esports gamers often view gaming as a structured career, whereas high-risk gamers typically play to escape real-life stressors,” they added.

The researchers worked with 47 male gamers between 15 and 19 years old. They divided them into three groups: esports players, casual gamers, and high-risk gamers, based on their gaming experience and scores on the Internet Gaming Disorder Test.

Using eye-tracking devices, they measured how long participants looked at gaming images compared to neutral ones.

The results showed that high-risk gamers looked at gaming images for longer periods, stared at them for longer during their first glance, and moved their eyes less often between images. In contrast, esports players and casual gamers showed no special preference for gaming pictures.

“We expected that esports gamers, given their extensive gaming involvement, might also show attentional biases,” Chang and Guan said, as reported by Psy Post. “However, their eye-movement patterns were more similar to those of casual gamers, suggesting their high gaming time is not driven by compulsive cravings,” they added.

Self-reports also showed that while esports players and high-risk gamers spent similar hours gaming, high-risk gamers had higher impulsivity and more signs of internet addiction.

“A major takeaway is that gaming duration alone is not a reliable indicator of addiction risk,” the researchers explained, as reported by Psy Post. “Our findings caution against diagnosing gaming disorder based solely on time spent gaming.”

They hope future tools combining eye-tracking with psychological tests will better detect early signs of gaming problems. “By shifting focus from ‘how much they play’ to ‘why they play,’ we can more effectively understand and support at-risk youth in digital environments,” they said, reported Psy Post.