Relationship between gaming disorder across various dimensions among PUBG players: a machine learning-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: PlayerUnknown’s battlegrounds (PUBG), a widely played multiplayer online game, has sparked interest and concern regarding its impact on players. This study explored the relationship between factors such as cultivation level, motivation, religious engagement, gaming disorder, and addiction among PUBG players. Methods: This study employed a convenience sampling technique to select a sample of 500 PUBG players. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was used to identify the primary factors contributing to the level of cultivation. Results: Male participants exhibited a higher level of cultivation than their female counterparts did. According to the ANN model, gaming disorder exhibited the greatest normalized importance, with a value of 100%. This was followed by the religious level, which had a normalized importance of 54.6%. Additionally, motivation level and gaming addiction demonstrated normalized importance values of 47.6 and 44.4%, respectively. This study revealed a statistically significant correlation between engaging in PUBG and the cultivation effect observed among respondents. Conclusion: This study highlights several noteworthy factors, including gaming disorder, religious affiliation, motivation level, and gaming addiction. These factors offer valuable insights into understanding gaming behavior and devising effective interventions.