The aim of this study is to investigate the association between
alexithymia and online gaming addiction in adult MMO game
players, employing structural equation modeling. Specifically,
it focuses on relationships between core components of
alexithymia (difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty
describing feelings, externally oriented thinking) and two
forms of excessive gaming – pathological gaming addiction and
non-pathological high engagement. The study also examines
factor validity of the Czech version of the TAS-20 scale for
measuring alexithymia, whose psychometric properties have not
been systematically evaluated yet. The study is based on the
analysis of the data from a three-wave longitudinal survey
among online players, which was realized during years 2013-2014
as a part of GAČR project Nové behaviorální závislosti at the
Faculty of social studies. The sample consisted of 1482 Czech
and Slovak MMO game players (1371 men, 111 women) aged 20-69.
The data were collected using self-report questionnaires
distributed on gaming discussion forums, online gaming
magazines and on gaming community websites. Using the
confirmatory factor analysis, the original 3-factor structure
of the TAS-20 was not supported. For further analysis, the
alternative model was used taking into account the reversed
item bias. In the final structural model, online gaming
addiction was positively predicted by difficulty identifying
feelings and externally oriented thinking, while engagement was
negatively predicted by externally oriented thinking. Remaining
relationships were nonsignificant. It was also found that both
online gaming addiction and engagement are slightly decreasing
with age and conversely increasing with higher frequency of
gaming. Thus, this study supports the importance of the
distinction between actual gaming addiction and excessive but
non-pathological gaming.