The attraction of online games: An important factor for Internet Addiction

•We explored the attraction of online games and its effect on Internet Addiction.•The Online Game Attraction Inventory was developed with excellent reliability and validity.•Online game attraction plays the most important role accounting for Internet Addiction.

This study examined the attraction of online games and their contribution to Internet Addiction (IA) among college students in China in a series of cross-sectional studies. Study 1 tested the theoretical framework of the online games attraction and developed an assessment instrument: the Online Game Attraction Inventory (OAI). Study 2 surveyed 635 students using a battery of questionnaires that included the Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS) to assess IA levels and determine which predictor contributed the most to IA. The results indicated the OAI to be a psychometrically sound tool with acceptable levels of reliability and validity. The OAI score was positively related to the CIAS score (r = .397, p < .01), and the structural equation modeling results revealed that online game attraction mediates the relationships among personality, family function, life events, social support and IA. Thus, the attraction of online games may affect the IA of college students; therefore, more attention should be paid to this issue.