Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40597428›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2025

The effect of childhood environmental unpredictability on problematic gaming among Chinese college students: a moderated mediation model.

Zinuo Wang, Yifan Wang, Caiyan Chen, Zhan Gao, Shuai Lu, Chenggong Wang

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Zinuo Wang *College of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, No. 521 Wenwei Rd. Baisha Road St. Cixi, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
Yifan Wang *Mental Health Education Center, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, P. R. China.
Caiyan ChenCollege of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, No. 521 Wenwei Rd. Baisha Road St. Cixi, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
Zhan GaoCollege of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, No. 521 Wenwei Rd. Baisha Road St. Cixi, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
Shuai LuCollege of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, No. 521 Wenwei Rd. Baisha Road St. Cixi, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
Chenggong WangCollege of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, No. 521 Wenwei Rd. Baisha Road St. Cixi, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, P. R. China. wangchenggong@nbu.edu.cn.

Funding

Major Humanities and Social Sciences Research Projects in Zhejiang higher education institutions 2024QN036Zhejiang Province Planning Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences 25NDJC053YBM
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChildhood environmental unpredictability (CEU) is recognized as a contributing factor to the maintenance and development of problematic gaming (PG) in adulthood by undermining individuals' psychological well-being. According to the cognitive vulnerability-stress model, cognitive schemas, such as unpredictability beliefs, may moderate the indirect pathway of CEU on PG via psychological distress. However, direct empirical evidence remains limited.

methodsUsing cross-sectional design and convenience sampling, a total of 1,255 Chinese college students aged 17 to 28 years (54.50% female, M

resultsAfter controlling for gender, age, and annual family income, findings showed that CEU was positively associated with PG (β = 0.252, SE = 0.029, 95% CI [0.195, 0.307]). Additionally, psychological distress partially mediated the relationship between CEU and PG (β = 0.144, SE = 0.016, 95% CI [0.114, 0.177]). Moreover, unpredictability beliefs moderated the first stage of the mediation pathway. Specifically, higher unpredictability beliefs strengthened the association between CEU and psychological distress (β = 0.114, SE = 0.025, 95% CI [0.094, 0.194]).

conclusionsThese findings provide further insights into the impact of CEU on individuals' psychological and behavioral development, offer empirical support for the cognitive vulnerability-stress model, and help identify the potential targets for mitigating psychological distress and PG among college students.

Indexed as

Internet Addiction DisorderPsychological DistressStress, PsychologicalStudentsVideo GamesAdolescentAdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMediation AnalysisModels, PsychologicalSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesChildhood environmental unpredictabilityCollege studentsProblematic gamingPsychological distressUnpredictability beliefs

Identifiers

PMID40597428
PMCPMC12220759

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.