Mitigating Attentional Bias: The Impact of Perceived Social Self-Efficacy in Individuals with MMO Games Addiction Tendency

Low self-efficacy in interpersonal relationships, linked to MMO game addiction, worsens the inclination towards addiction as individuals seek social interaction within the game, leading to attentional bias towards game stimuli. This study aimed to investigate if manipulating perceived social self-efficacy levels could reduce attentional bias in MMO game addiction compared to non-addictive gamers. 503 undergraduates participated, including the MMO addiction group (n=60) and the control group (n=60), identified through the Korean version of the Internet Game Disorder Scale. Participants were divided into high and low perceived social self-efficacy conditions through false feedback. Dot probe tasks assessed attentional bias changes before and after manipulated feedback using a “social intelligence test.” The attentional bias score, initially higher in the addiction group, decreased after intervention with increased social self-efficacy. No significant changes were observed in control groups and the addiction group with decreased social self-efficacy. These findings confirm that boosting perceived social self-efficacy in MMO addiction can reduce attentional bias towards game stimuli, suggesting crucial interventions for alleviating addictive behaviors.