Similarities and Differences Between Parents’ and Adolescents’ Views on Playing Video Games: A Social Domain Theory Approach

Abstract

Introduction: The topic of video gaming can spark disagreements and conflicts between parents and adolescents. Based on social domain theory, this study addresses the possibility that this is because parents and adolescents differ in terms of whether they perceive gaming as a moral, prudential, or personal issue. It is also examined whether parents’ social domain perceptions of gaming relate to their usage of restrictive mediation and different styles to communicate restrictive mediation. Methods: Data were collected in October 2023 from 137 parent–adolescent dyads in Belgium. The adolescent participants (M = 15.90 years; 97% male) were frequent gamers. Adolescents and their parents provided ratings of the degree to which gaming belongs to three social domains (moral, prudential, and personal). In addition, parents filled out questionnaires on parental restrictive mediation and autonomy-supportive or controlling styles of communicating restrictive mediation. Analyses included repeated measures ANOVA and regression analyses. Results: Whereas parents viewed gaming more as a moral and prudential issue than adolescents, they both viewed gaming to an equal extent as a personal issue. Parents’ perceptions of gaming as a moral issue were associated with more restrictive mediation and a more controlling communication style, while their perception of gaming as a personal issue was positively linked with autonomy-supportive communication. Conclusions: The more parents see gaming as a moral issue, the more they set rules on gaming and communicate about rules in a controlling way. Parents who see games more as a personal issue are more likely to communicate about games in an autonomy-supportive way.