Dysfunctional Cognitions in Online Gaming and Internet Gaming Disorder: a Narrative Review and New Classification

Purpose of Review Over the last two decades, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has emerged as a potential clinical entity. Dysfunctional cognitions relating to IGD have been the object of debate by scholars in the field. The aim of the current paper is to provide a narrative review and new classification of dysfunctional cognitions involved in IGD. Recent Findings A wide range of dysfunctional cognitions have been investigated in online gaming. Recent research has indicated the importance and value of distinguishing dysfunctional cognitions from dysfunctional metacognitions in IGD. Summary We propose a new classification which distinguishes between dysfunctional cognitions and metacognitions in IGD. Future studies should compare these two forms of cognitive constructs using longitudinal and experimental designs and examine their relative contribution in predicting IGD and efficacy of different treatments.