Unveiling Gaming Disorder Dynamics: Clustered Networks and Longitudinal Cohort Insights into Time Perspective Effects Among Young Adults
摘要
Prior research indicates that a present-oriented time perspective at the expense of future orientation represents a personality trait in addiction, yet longitudinal evidence on how heterogeneous time perspective profiles influence gaming disorder (GD) trajectories remains scarce. This study employed a person-centered approach to identify distinct time perspective subtypes and investigate their differential predictive utility for GD development. Among 4,787 Chinese college students, cluster analysis of baseline Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory data revealed three profiles: future-oriented (37.8%), negative-oriented (50.9%), and withdrawal-oriented (11.3%). Over a six-month follow-up, both the negative-oriented (RR = 1.99, 95%CI:1.57–2.51) and withdrawal-oriented (RR = 2.36, 95%CI:1.78–3.13) clusters demonstrated significantly elevated GD risks compared to the future-oriented group. Network analyses further revealed substantially stronger global connectivity in high-risk clusters (network strength: 6.54 and 6.86 vs. 5.52; both p < 0.001), indicating more entrenched psychopathological networks. The findings support time perspective interventions: future time perspective training to enhance future orientation in withdrawal-oriented individuals, and mindfulness-based interventions targeting present-moment awareness for negative-oriented individuals’ temporal processing biases.