Individual differences in implicit learning abilities and impulsive behavior in the context of Internet addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder under the consideration of gender

•Higher Internet addiction scores were linked to deficient implicit learning.•This association was found in two independent groups of male (excessive) gamers.•Online Gaming addiction was linked to higher risk-taking in healthy participants.•Implicit learning and risk-taking were assessed, using an experimental task.

IntroductionIn three consecutive studies, we aimed to investigate the relationship between problematic Internet use (PIU), Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and implicit learning abilities, and impulsivity/risk-taking among online video gamers and control participants.MethodsIn study 1, male visitors, recruited at the “Gamescom” in Cologne (2013), filled in a short version of the Internet Addiction Test (s-IAT), the Online Gaming Addiction Scale (OGAS), and completed an experimental task to assess implicit learning abilities. In study 2, a group of WoW gamers and control participants completed the same set up, in order to replicate the results of study 1. Study 3 used a modified version of the experiment to measure impulsivity/risk-taking in a group of healthy participants.ResultsIn study 1, results revealed a significant negative correlation between the s-IAT score and the measure of implicit learning among male Gamescom participants. In study 2, the s-IAT and WoW addiction scores were negatively correlated with implicit learning only in male WoW players, which mirrors the results from study 1. In study 3, the OGAS score was positively correlated with the experimental measure of impulsivity/risk-taking.ConclusionIn the current research project, deficient implicit learning was linked to PIU only in male participants with (a tendency towards) IGD. These findings might help to disentangle some opposing results on this relationship, when considering the gender of participants. Furthermore, higher risk-taking tendencies were associated with IGD among healthy participants, thus, suggesting the potential of risk taking as a predictor of IGD in a non-gamer population.