The Mediating Role of Self-Control in the Effect of Digital Game Addiction on University Students' Attitudes Towards Sports

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of digital game addiction on attitudes toward sports among university students and to test the mediating role of self-control in this relationship.

Method: The research was conducted using a cross-sectional and correlational survey model within the scope of quantitative methods. The sample of the study consisted of 385 university students. The Personal Information Form, the Digital Game Addiction Scale for University Students, the Multidimensional Short Self-Control Scale, and the Attitude Scale Towards Sports were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using the SPSS program; descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and regression-based mediation analysis were applied. The 5,000 bootstrap resampling method was used to test the mediation effect.

Results: The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between digital game addiction and self-control (r = .319, p < .01). A negative and significant relationship was found between self-control and attitudes toward sports (r = -.200, p < .01). The total effect between digital game addiction and attitude toward sports was not statistically significant (B = .080, p = .095). However, the effect of digital game addiction on self-control was found to be significant (B = .043, p < .001). Furthermore, when digital game addiction and self-control were included in the model together, the direct effect of digital game addiction on attitudes toward sports became significant (B = .156, p = .002), while self-control was found to predict attitudes toward sports in a significant and negative direction (B = -1.744, p < .001). Bootstrap analysis revealed that the indirect effect was significant (B = -0.076; 95% CI: -0.124 – -0.035).

Conclusion: The findings indicate that the effect of digital game addiction on attitudes toward sports is not significant at a direct level; however, it is significantly structured indirectly through self-control. The findings reveal that self-control is a significant mediating variable in this relationship. These results indicate that interventions focusing not only on digital gaming behavior but also on self-control and self-regulation skills are important in supporting positive attitudes toward sports among university students.

Keywords

• Digital Game Addiction
• Self-Control
• Attitude Toward Sports
• University Students
• Mediation Effect

Üniversite Öğrencilerinde Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığının Spora Yönelik Tutum Üzerindeki Etkisinde Öz-Denetimin Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Amaç: Bu araştırmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinde dijital oyun bağımlılığının spora yönelik tutum üzerindeki etkisini incelemek ve bu ilişkide öz-denetimin aracı rolünü test etmektir.

Yöntem: Araştırma, nicel yöntem kapsamında kesitsel ve ilişkisel tarama modeline dayalı olarak yürütülmüştür. Çalışmanın örneklemini 385 üniversite öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Üniversite Öğrencileri İçin Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığı Ölçeği, Çok Boyutlu Kısa Öz-Kontrol Ölçeği ve Spora Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Veriler SPSS programı aracılığıyla analiz edilmiş; tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Pearson korelasyon analizi ve regresyona dayalı aracılık analizi uygulanmıştır. Aracılık etkisinin test edilmesinde 5.000 bootstrap yeniden örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır.

Bulgular: Bulgular, dijital oyun bağımlılığı ile öz-denetim arasında pozitif yönlü ve anlamlı bir ilişki bulunduğunu göstermiştir (r = .319, p < .01). Öz-denetim ile spora yönelik tutum arasında ise negatif yönlü ve anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmıştır (r = -.200, p < .01). Dijital oyun bağımlılığı ile spora yönelik tutum arasındaki toplam etki istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmamıştır (B = .080, p = .095). Buna karşın, dijital oyun bağımlılığının öz-denetim üzerindeki etkisinin anlamlı olduğu belirlenmiştir (B = .043, p < .001). Ayrıca, dijital oyun bağımlılığı ve öz-denetim birlikte modele dâhil edildiğinde, dijital oyun bağımlılığının spora yönelik tutum üzerindeki doğrudan etkisi anlamlı hâle gelmiş (B = .156, p = .002), öz-denetimin ise spora yönelik tutumu anlamlı ve negatif yönde yordadığı görülmüştür (B = -1.744, p < .001). Bootstrap analizi sonucunda dolaylı etkinin anlamlı olduğu saptanmıştır (B = -0.076; %95 GA: -0.124 – -0.035).

Sonuç: Elde edilen bulgular, dijital oyun bağımlılığının spora yönelik tutum üzerindeki etkisinin doğrudan düzeyde anlamlı olmadığını; ancak öz-denetim aracılığıyla dolaylı olarak anlamlı biçimde yapılandığını göstermektedir. Bulgular, öz-denetimin bu ilişkide anlamlı bir aracı değişken olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Bu sonuçlar, üniversite öğrencilerinde spora yönelik olumlu tutumun desteklenmesinde yalnızca dijital oyun davranışına değil, aynı zamanda öz-denetim ve öz-düzenleme becerilerine odaklanan müdahalelerin de önemli olduğunu göstermektedir.

Keywords

• Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığı
• Öz-Denetim
• Spora Yönelik Tutum
• Üniversite Öğrencileri
• Aracılık Etkisi

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