Exploring Psychosocial Traits Across Italian Current Gamers, Non-Current Gamers, and Non-Gamers

The increasing prevalence of gaming and the problems associated with it have sparked interest in examining the differences between gamers and non-gamers. This study aims to investigate whether psychological variables, such as prosociality, emotional intelligence, social support, and mental health, differ among current gamers, non-current gamers, and non-gamers. A quantitative study was conducted using a convenience sample of Italian university students (N = 717, Meanage = 22.15, SDage = 3.49; 49.4% female). One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were employed to compare the three groups. In addition, two binomial logistic regressions were conducted using statistically significant variables to identify the most important predictors of gaming initiation and gaming maintenance. Results indicate that males, particularly older males, and those exhibiting lower levels of prosociality were more likely to initiate gaming. Furthermore, being male, older, and having greater ability to assess one’s own emotions were associated with a higher likelihood of maintaining gaming behavior.