Relationship Between Passion for Playing Video Games and Behavioral School Engagement: Mediation Through Time Spent Playing

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of harmonious and obsessive passion for playing video games with behavioral school engagement, and to determine whether these two types of passion are indirectly related to behavioral school engagement through time spent playing video games. Data for this correlational, online study were collected from a convenience quota sample of 568 high-school students (55.5% boys) between 14 and 19 years old (M = 15.89; SD = 1.16). Participants self-reported their passion for playing video games, the amount of time they spent playing video games, and their behavioral school engagement. Path analysis showed that both harmonious and obsessive passion exerted direct effects on behavioral school engagement, as well as indirect effects through time spent playing video games. Higher harmonious passion was directly related to higher school engagement, but it was also indirectly related to lower school engagement because of its association with more time spent playing video games. In contrast, higher obsessive passion was related to lower school engagement both directly as well as indirectly through its association with more time spent playing. The results are discussed in the context of the dualistic model of passion.