Can blind box buying be addictive?: Measurement and associations with gambling disorder among Chinese adults
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- 2Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, China
- 3Department of Medical Humanities, School of Humanities, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu China
- 4State Experimental Base for Intelligent Society Governance (Education) at Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu China
- 5Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing, College of Human Sciences and Culture, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA Australia
- 6Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- 7Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar
- 8Centre for Health Behaviors Research, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Abstract
Background: Blind boxes are gambling-like products with increasing popularity worldwide. Accumulating evidence has shown that blind box over-purchasing is a rising problem, yet no validated tool exists for its addictive components. Besides, the link between problematic blind box buying and gambling disorder (GD) has never been tested. To fill these knowledge gaps, the current study tested the psychometric performance of the Problematic Blind Box Buying Scale (PBBS) and further examined the associations between problematic blind box buying and GD at both construct and symptom levels using bivariate correlation and network analysis, respectively.
Methods: The sample consists of 1324 Chinese adults (52.3% female, Mage = 33.13, SDage = 6.73) who have experience with blind box buying.
Results: Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis consistently suggested the unidimensionality of PBBS. This scale also showed good internal consistency, convergent validity, and concurrent validity. The positive correlations between problematic blind box buying and GD were found at both construct and symptom levels. Chasing loss was the central node, while the conflict symptom of GD and the relapse symptom of problematic blind box buying were the bridge symptoms in the network of problematic blind box buying and GD.
Conclusions: The current study is the first exploratory investigation of problematic blind box buying and its relationship with GD. It provides evidence for the validity and reliability of PBBS for measuring problematic blind box buying. Moreover, its findings also support the addictive potential of blind box buying and the associated risk with gambling disorder. These findings provide practical insights for the regulation and policy of blind box commerce and GD intervention.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05184-z.
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BibTeX
@article{zhai2026blind,
title = {{Can blind box buying be addictive?: Measurement and associations with gambling disorder among Chinese adults}},
author = {Jing Zhai and Mengxuan Zhang and Andrea Czakó and Haofeng Ling and Anise M. S. Wu},
journal = {BMC Psychology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s40359-026-05184-z},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05184-z},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Can blind box buying be addictive?: Measurement and associations with gambling disorder among Chinese adults
AU - Jing Zhai
AU - Mengxuan Zhang
AU - Andrea Czakó
AU - Haofeng Ling
AU - Anise M. S. Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/22
JO - BMC Psychology
DO - 10.1186/s40359-026-05184-z
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05184-z
AB - Background: Blind boxes are gambling-like products with increasing popularity worldwide. Accumulating evidence has shown that blind box over-purchasing is a rising problem, yet no validated tool exists for its addictive components. Besides, the link between problematic blind box buying and gambling disorder (GD) has never been tested. To fill these knowledge gaps, the current study tested the psychometric performance of the Problematic Blind Box Buying Scale (PBBS) and further examined the associations between problematic blind box buying and GD at both construct and symptom levels using bivariate correlation and network analysis, respectively. Methods: The sample consists of 1324 Chinese adults (52.3% female, Mage = 33.13, SDage = 6.73) who have experience with blind box buying. Results: Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis consistently suggested the unidimensionality of PBBS. This scale also showed good internal consistency, convergent validity, and concurrent validity. The positive correlations between problematic blind box buying and GD were found at both construct and symptom levels. Chasing loss was the central node, while the conflict symptom of GD and the relapse symptom of problematic blind box buying were the bridge symptoms in the network of problematic blind box buying and GD. Conclusions: The current study is the first exploratory investigation of problematic blind box buying and its relationship with GD. It provides evidence for the validity and reliability of PBBS for measuring problematic blind box buying. Moreover, its findings also support the addictive potential of blind box buying and the associated risk with gambling disorder. These findings provide practical insights for the regulation and policy of blind box commerce and GD intervention. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05184-z.
SN - 2050-7283
ER -