The Mediating role of Social Support in the relationship between Perceived Need Satisfaction and Gaming Addiction among Adolescents

Abstract

Individuals whose perceived psychological needs (Autonomy, competence and relatedness) are satisfied and have adequate social support tend to rely less on their environment and exhibit greater autonomy. To examine the relationship between perceived need satisfaction and gaming addiction, with social support as a mediator, among adolescents aged 16–19 years. The research used a quantitative design with a sample of 300 students from colleges, focusing on those who play video games daily. Data was collected using the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale (BPNSS) by (Deci and Ryan, 2000), the Multidimensional scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) by (Zimet et al., 1988), and the Gaming Addiction Scale for Adolescents (GASA) by (Lemmens et al., 2009). Pearson correlation coefficient, independent sample t-test, and mediation analysis were used for data analysis. The findings indicated a significant negative correlation between perceived need satisfaction and gaming addiction (r = -0.30, p < .01), and a significant positive correlation between social support and gaming addiction (r =0.50, p < .01). Furthermore, Mediation analysis revealed that social support fully mediated the relationship between perceived need satisfaction and gaming addiction, with perceived need satisfaction positively predicting social support (β = .44, p < .001) and social support negatively predicting gaming addiction (β = −.41, p < .001). An independent samples t-test revealed that male adolescents scored significantly higher on gaming addiction than females (4.71, p < .001). Understanding the link between perceived psychological needs, social support, and gaming addiction can help inform targeted interventions to reduce gaming addiction among adolescents.