Comparative study of brain characteristics in reward mechanism among computer gamers towards addictive behaviour

Abstract

This research is basically a comparative study of brain characteristics in reward mechanism towards addictive behaviour among active and non-active computer game players. There were fifteen active and fifteen non-active computer game players, which were classified using Video Game Addiction Test (VAT), participated in the experiment. Electroencephalography (EEG) system was used to record the brain signals. The modified Go-NoGo task combined with event-related potential paradigm were applied during the experiment, where the reaction time with the effect of different contrast levels (2.5% and 25%) and presence of performance feedback (no-feedback, positive feedback, negative feedback, monetary feedback) were recorded. EEGLab and sLORETA software were used in data pre-processing and analysing. EEG results concluded that active gamers activated the brain seed regions (superior frontal gyrus (SFG), posterior cingulate (PCC), anterior cingulate (ACC), insula and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)) during game play with generally faster activation compared to nonactive gamers. It can be concluded that monetary rewards, negative feedback and positive feedback are potential external cues which can induce addictive behaviour, whereby positive feedback has the highest potential and especially more on active gamers compared to non-active gamers. The reaction time of both group of active gamers and non-active gamers are shorter in responding during stimuli presentation which displayed 25% (higher) contrast level compared to 2.5% (lower) contrast level. Besides that, the average reaction time decreased throughout the four conditions (nofeedback > positive feedback > negative feedback > monetary feedback) in 25% stimuli contrast level for both active and non-active gamers.