Attentional Bias in Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Review of Behavioral Studies

Purpose of Review: In recent years, attentional bias has been extensively studied concerning gaming addiction. Preliminary studies suggest that individuals with gaming addiction focus more on game-related stimuli, react more slowly to gaming words in Stroop tasks, and engage more with gaming images in dot-probe tasks, whereas some studies have reported mixed or null results. This systematic review synthesizes behavioral research on attentional bias in gaming addiction and examines factors contributing to discrepancies, including methodological differences and individual variations. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched six databases through November 2024 and identified 16 relevant studies.

Recent Findings: Thirteen studies reported evidence of attentional bias, though five showed task-dependent or inconsistent effects. Three studies found no significant attentional bias. Discrepancies across studies may be attributed to differences in participant characteristics, task types, and gaming addiction measurement tools. Behavioral attentional bias has not been found in most studies using the Addiction Stroop Task. This may be due to the limited salience of game-related words, which may not trigger strong emotional responses or capture automatic attention.

Summary: The findings suggest that attentional bias may play a role in gaming addiction. However, the consistency of these results appears to depend on methodological factors, such as attentional bias tasks and gaming addiction measures, as well as individual differences, including participants’ age and attentional control. Future research should employ standardized measures and explore moderating factors to enhance the reliability and applicability of findings in clinical and experimental settings.