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. 2020 Feb 17;17(4):1272.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041272.

Motivational Climate Is Associated with Use of Video Games and Violence in Schoolchildren: A Structural Equation Model According to Healthy Behaviors

Manuel Castro-Sánchez  1 , Amador Jesús Lara-Sánchez  2 , Eduardo García-Mármol  3 , Ramón Chacón-Cuberos  4
Affiliations

Motivational Climate Is Associated with Use of Video Games and Violence in Schoolchildren: A Structural Equation Model According to Healthy Behaviors

Manuel Castro-Sánchez et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to develop an explanatory model of motivational climate, problematic use of videogames, violent behaviour and victimisation in schoolchildren. The sample included 734 children aged between 10 and 12 years of age from the province of Granada (Spain). A multi-group structural equation model was used, with an excellent fit (CFI = 0.964; NFI = 0.954; IFI = 0.964; RMSEA = 0.048). The results showed a positive relationship between the problematic use of video games, victimisation and violent behaviors, associating negatively with the task climate. Likewise, the task-oriented motivational climate was indirectly related to victimisation situations and violent behavior, while the ego climate did so positively with special emphasis on children who did not perform physical activity. As a main conclusion it is shown that adherence to the practice of physical activity, and particularly within a task-oriented motivational climate, can act as a protective factor against the problematic use of video games.

Keywords: bullying; leisure time; motivation; new technologies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Theoretical Model. Note: TC, task climate; CL, cooperative learning; E/I, effort/improvement; IR, important role; EC, ego climate; ITR, intra-team rivalry; PM, punishment of mistakes; UR, unequal recognition; VIDEOGAMES, use of videogames; VICTIMISATION, victimisation; RV, relational victimisation; OPV, overt physical victimisation; OVV, overt verbal victimisation; VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR, violent behaviour; MA, manifest aggressiveness; RA, relational aggressiveness.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Structural equation model for physical activity. Note: TC, task climate; CL, cooperative learning; E/I, effort/improvement; IR, important role; EC, ego climate; ITR, intra-team rivalry; PM, punishment of mistakes; UR, unequal recognition; VIDEOGAMES, use of videogames; VICTIMISATION, victimisation; RV, relational victimisation; OPV, overt physical victimisation; OVV, overt verbal victimisation; VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR, violent behaviour; MA, manifest aggressiveness; RA, relational aggressiveness.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Structural equation model in sedentary subjects. Note: TC, task climate; CL, cooperative learning; E/I, effort/improvement; IR, important role; EC, ego climate; ITR, intra-team rivalry; PM, punishment of mistakes; UR, unequal recognition; VIDEOGAMES, use of videogames; VICTIMISATION, victimisation; RV, relational victimisation; OPV, overt physical victimisation; OVV, overt verbal victimisation; VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR, violent behaviour; MA, manifest aggressiveness; RA, relational aggressiveness.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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