Attachment disorganization and dissociation in virtual worlds: a study on problematic internet use among players of online role playing games

Fonte: Clinical Neuropsychiatry (2012) 9, 5, 195-202
Autori: Adriano Schimmenti, Fanny Guglielmucci, Ghiara Barbasio, Antonella Granieri 

Si propone un interessante articolo pubblicato su Clinical Neuropsychiatry. L’articolo presenta una ricerca empirica volta all’approfondimento della relazione tra dipendenza da internet e attaccamento insicuro e disorganizzato. La ricerca ha considerato tutte le diverse forme di dipendenze correlate all’utilizzo di internet: dipendenza da social networking, cybersex, il gioco d’azzardo on-line, dipendenza da giochi di ruolo (Cantelmi e Talli 2009) e le ha correlate con una grande quantità di variabili psicologiche: ansia, timidezza, ritiro sociale (Whang et al. 2003), disturbi dell’umore, deficit di attenzione, dissociazione, l’alessitimia e gli stili di attaccamento insicuro e disorganizzato. L’analisi si è focalizzata soprattutto sui dipendenti da gioco di ruolo.
Objective: internet addiction was linked both theoretically and empirically with attachment insecurity and dissociation; however, there is a lack of studies exploring the associations between attachment disorganization, dissociation, and problematic internet use.
Method: in this study, an internet-based survey administered by means of the internet Addiction test (iAt) was conducted among the players of an italian multi-user dungeon in order to select a subsample of people who showed significant symptoms of Internet abuse. Among the 250 cases eligible for data analysis, 36 players (13.5%) scored above the iAt cut-off for a problematic internet use. these players were contacted for a second phase of the study in which they were administered the Adult Attachment interview and the revised dissociative experience scale.
Results and ConclusionsThere was a high prevalence of attachment disorganization (47%) among these players; they also reported significant dissociative experiences. A mediation study showed that dissociation mediated the effect of attachment disorganization on the internet addiction scores, thus supporting the idea that people higly involved with the internet role-playing games can use dissociation to protect the self from memories of loss, neglect and abuse experienced in the attachment relationships.
Key words: internet addiction, attachment disorganization, dissociation, Adult Attachment interview, online role- playing games.