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Baby with the Bathwater? Examining the Relationship between Video Game Use and Relationship Outcomes and the Moderating Effects of Attachment Behaviors among Married Casual Gamers
Author(s) -
Bradford Angela B.,
Dobry Stella,
Sandberg Jonathan G.,
Coyne Sarah M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/jmft.12355
Subject(s) - psychology , aggression , casual , association (psychology) , moderation , video game , developmental psychology , social psychology , clinical psychology , multimedia , psychotherapist , materials science , computer science , composite material
We examined whether time together as a problem mediates the link between frequency of video game use and relational outcomes (relationship quality, relational aggression, physical aggression) among 431 married couples. We also examined the moderating effect of couple attachment behaviors on the association between time together as a problem and outcomes. There was no support for a direct or indirect relationship between gaming and outcomes; however, time together as a problem was consistently related to outcomes. Additionally, husband's and wife's attachment behaviors moderated the association between women's reports of time together as a problem and men's relational aggression. Clinical implications are discussed.