The diagnostic assessment of internet or computer game
dependency remains problematic. Different studies in different
countries have used different scales to assess prevalence
of computer game addiction. A national Harris Poll survey of
1,178 U.S. youths ages 8–18 years found that 8.5% of computer
gamers were pathological players according to standards established
for pathological gambling (Harris Interactive, 2007).
Among 323 German children ranging in age from 11 to 14
years, 9.3% (N = 30) met criteria for dependency and pathological
gaming using DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria (8). A second
study of 7069 computer-game players reported that 11.9% met
three of the diagnostic criteria for addiction (9). Finally, among
221 computer game players, 6.3% have met ICD-10 criterion of
addiction (10). Among 2327 Norwegian youth, 2.7% (4.2% of
the boys, 1.1% of the girls) fulfilled the criteria for pathological
playing following a “Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction
of Young;” 9.8% (14.5% of the boys, 5% of the girls)
were considered to be engaging in “at risk playing” (11). In the
United Kingdom, a survey of 387 adolescents (12–16 years of
age) found that 20% met computer dependence using a scale
adapted from the DSM-III-R criteria for pathological gambling
(12). A German National survey of 7000 gamers found that
12% met three of the criterion for internet addiction (9). Results
of a German nationwide survey of 44,610 male and female
ninth-graders in 2007 and 2008 have shown that 3% of the male
and.3% of the female students were diagnosed as dependent on
Although repetition of favorite activities has a moderate effect
upon computer game addiction, flow experience, the emotional
state embracing perceptional distortion and enjoyment
shows a strong impact on addiction in Taiwanese players (15).
Responses of computer game players in Taiwan have qualitatively
reflected their psychological needs and motivations in
daily life, but also to the interplay of real self and virtual self,
compensatory, or extensive satisfaction for their needs and selfreflections
(16). Social relationships and the specific time and
flexibility characteristics (“easy-in, easy-out”) in multiplayer
browser games have been suggested as the main cause for enjoyment
in Germany (17). Game and internet addictions are also
connected with interpersonal relationship patterns (18). Competition,
in contrast, seems to be less important for browser gamers
than for users of other game types. There is only weak evidence
for the assumption that aggressive behavior is associated with
excessive gaming (9). Excessive computer game playing could
result in deficient visual-spatial ability (19