Digital game addiction, classroom engagement, sleep deprivation and mind-wandering: tests of mediating relationships with Turkish adolescents

Yıldırım-Kurtuluş H., Kurtuluş E., Batmaz H., Yildirim M.

AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST, cilt.60, sa.2, ss.139-151, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 60 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/00050067.2024.2429667
  • Dergi Adı: AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, CINAHL, Psycinfo, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.139-151
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: classroom engagement, Digital game addiction, mind-wandering, sleep deprivation
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

ObjectiveEngaging in excessive digital gaming can detrimentally affect physical and psychological health. This research aimed to examine the relationships between digital game addiction, classroom engagement, sleep deprivation, and mind-wandering and to test the mediating effect of sleep deprivation and mind-wandering on the relationship between digital game addiction and classroom engagement.MethodEmploying a relational survey design, data were collected from a convenience sample of 750 Turkish adolescents (295 males, 455 females) aged 13-17 years, using an online cross-sectional survey. All participants were in middle or high school.ResultsDigital game use varied; 154 (20.5%) did not play digital games. Among those who played digital games, the highest percentage played 0-1 hour per day, 188 (25.1%). Digital game addiction scores ranged from 7-35 (M = 13.57, SD = 5.90). Digital game addiction, sleep deprivation, and mind-wandering were associated with poorer classroom engagement. Sleep deprivation and mind-wandering mediated the relationship between digital game addiction and classroom engagement.ConclusionThe relationship between digital game addiction and classroom engagement appears to be at least partly explained by sleep deprivation and mind-wandering. Future research should investigate these variables across different age groups of adolescents, employing both qualitative approaches and longitudinal quantitative methods.