A study on the relationship between digital game addiction, self-regulation skills, and academic motivation in primary school students

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among primary school students' levels of digital game addiction, self-regulation skills, and in-class motivation. The study was designed using the relational survey model, a quantitative research method. The study group consisted of 340 third- and fourth-grade primary school students studying in the Antakya district of Hatay province during the 2025–2026 academic year. The sample was selected using the convenience sampling method. Data were collected through a Personal Information Form, the Digital Game Addiction Scale for Children, the Self-Regulation Skills Scale, and the Academic Motivation Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis. The findings indicated that male students had significantly higher levels of digital game addiction than female students, while female students demonstrated higher levels of self-regulation skills and intrinsic motivation. A positive and significant relationship was identified between daily gaming duration and digital game addiction. In particular, students who played digital games for three hours or more per day were found to be at a risky threshold for addiction, and their self-regulation skills were significantly lower. Correlation analyses revealed negative relationships between digital game addiction and both self-regulation and in-class motivation, while a positive relationship was found between self-regulation and in-class motivation. The mediation analysis showed that digital game addiction was not only directly and negatively associated with in-class motivation, but also indirectly and negatively predicted in-class motivation through self-regulation skills. Based on the bootstrap confidence interval values, it was concluded that self-regulation skills played a partial mediating role in this relationship. Overall, the study suggests that strengthening students' self-regulation skills and intrinsic motivation may be effective in reducing digital game addiction. Key Words: Addiction, Digital game, Primary school students, Motivation, Self-regulation