Comparison of Acceptance vs. Abstinence Self-Control Techniques Effects on Procrastination and Well-Being in Video-Gamers

Artemiy Leonov; Justin Paul Laplante

doi:10.29333/ajqr/14702

Artemiy Leonov ¹ ^* , Justin Paul Laplante ²

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AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp. 1-22

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14702

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Abstract

Activities that bring short-term pleasure, such as video gaming, have an ambiguous effect on long-term goal attainment. From one perspective, they are a source of positive affect, which helps people to overcome procrastination and finally initiate the planned task. However, these short-term pleasure activities may become the source of procrastination themselves, tempting people to engage in them beyond the intended timeframe. The present study attempts to resolve this conflict. It implies a novel “qualitative experiment” methodology in order to test a behavioral strategy; taking 10-minute breaks after each game round, which is aimed to help gamers control their desire to play beyond the self-imposed limit. Over the course of two weeks, participants who used this strategy (Strategy group) reported a similar decrease in procrastination tendencies compared to participants who totally abstained from video gaming (Abstinence group) and a larger decrease in procrastination compared to participants who played in their regular routine (Control group). In addition, the Strategy group reported a higher sense of emotional well-being than both the Abstinence and the Control ones. These results corroborate the effectiveness of the self-control model, oriented on the productive coexistence of hedonic pleasures and long-term goals.

Keywords: emotion regulation, self-control, video-games, hedonic motives, qualitative experiment

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Citation

Leonov, A., & Laplante, J. P. (2024). Comparison of Acceptance vs. Abstinence Self-Control Techniques Effects on Procrastination and Well-Being in Video-Gamers. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14702

Leonov, A., and Laplante, J. P. (2024). Comparison of Acceptance vs. Abstinence Self-Control Techniques Effects on Procrastination and Well-Being in Video-Gamers. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(3), pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14702

Leonov A, Laplante JP. Comparison of Acceptance vs. Abstinence Self-Control Techniques Effects on Procrastination and Well-Being in Video-Gamers. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14702

Leonov, Artemiy, and Justin Paul Laplante. "Comparison of Acceptance vs. Abstinence Self-Control Techniques Effects on Procrastination and Well-Being in Video-Gamers". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2024 8 no. 3 (2024): 1-22. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14702

Leonov, Artemiy et al. "Comparison of Acceptance vs. Abstinence Self-Control Techniques Effects on Procrastination and Well-Being in Video-Gamers". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 8, no. 3, 2024, pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14702

Leonov A, Laplante JP. Comparison of Acceptance vs. Abstinence Self-Control Techniques Effects on Procrastination and Well-Being in Video-Gamers. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(3):1-22. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14702