Recent Submissions
The impact of video game addiction on aggressive behaviour among tertiary students in Sri Lanka
(Discover, 2026-01-30) Fonseka, W.Y.S; Hathurusinghe, B. M; Weerarathna, R,S; Rathnayake, R. M. N. M; Samindika, H, R.T; Ramasingha, L, T.D; Jayasuriya, N,U; Kumarapperuma, C; Dayapathirana, N
This research examines the impact of video game addiction on aggressive behaviour of tertiary students in Sri Lanka. Video game addiction, with its potential adverse impacts has raised concerns among the public, especially regarding its link to aggressive behaviour. Data was gathered from a sample of 382 undergraduates of local non-state universities selected employing cluster sampling technique to examine the correlation between video game addiction and aggression. The survey was conducted to collect data on video game addiction and aggression. Research findings reveal how gaming addiction leads to aggressive behaviour in addicted gamers indicating a strong positive relationship between video game addiction and aggressive behaviour. Therefore, researchers recommend balanced time management practices between game usage and other daily essential activities and promoting awareness about negative behavioural implication of game addiction. It is expected that this study provides insights to stakeholders including teachers, parents, and administrators to better understand the effects of video game addiction, and mitigation strategies to minimise the negative impact on students’ behaviour.
Unravelling the impact of fossil fuel consumption and urbanisation on black carbon emissions in Africa
(Springer Nature, 2026-05-12) Pinnawala, P; Samarasinghe, B; Samarasingha, N; Wijethunga, P; Dharmapriya, N; Yapa, S
Black carbon (BC) is a leading short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) with profound health and climate impacts. This research investigates the impact of fossil fuel energy consumption (FFEC) and Urbanisation (URB) on black carbon emissions (BCE) in 34 African countries over the period 2005–2022. Data were analysed using a panel regression with fixed effects (x2 = 97.26, p < 0.001) to estimate the effects of each variable. Cross-country heterogeneity is further examined using country-level multiple linear regression (MLR) models. The fixed-effects model with clustered standard errors finds that fossil fuel energy consumption is weakly and negatively associated with Black carbon emissions. The average effect of countries in URB is not considered strong. In contrast, URB shows a positive and significant association with BCE in Eritrea, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, and Zimbabwewhile FFEC shows a positive and significant impact on BCE in Ghana and Zimbabwe. These results indicate that poorly planned urban sprawl overlaps with energy poverty, as it dramatically increases BCE. Policymakers should focus more on implementing cleaner cooking facilities, reliable low-carbon electricity generation, and eco-friendly transportation modes to achieve BCE neutrality.
True nature of brain drain and brain gain: A MM-QR analysis on migration, remittances and FDI
(Elsevier Ltd, 2026-12) Lokuliyana, A; Perera, J; Perera, R; Marina, N; Samarakkody, T; Kankanam Pathiranage, H.S
With ever-changing global dynamics, understanding which factors promote or hinder economic growth is crucial for any country. Although many studies have examined the variables migration, remittances, and FDI, fewer have examined their collective impact on economic growth in an income-level analysis. A noticeable limitation of the few existing studies in the area is the inability of the mean-based models to address the heterogeneity in real-life distributions. The main objective of the study was to bridge the knowledge gap and address the heterogeneity concerns in mean-based models using MM-QR, meanwhile providing quantile-based evidence for economic theories such as endogenous growth theory, structural transformation theory and most importantly, brain drain theory. The study used a panel dataset of 118 countries from 1995 to 2023, categorized into 4 income levels. Results of the study supported the brain drain theory, where migration negatively affected poorer economies and hinted at the possible existence of brain gain in HICs. Continuous non-linear behavior of FDI, remittances explained the existence of developmental asymmetries and supported endogenous growth theory and structural transformation theory and reveals development threshold effects. Finally, the study underlines the importance of placing tailored policies to absorb migration, remittances and FDIs for economic growth and provides policy recommendations accordingly.
Influencing players to download new games: role of in-game pop-up advertisements
(Springer Nature, 2026-04-30) Vidanagama, S; Ulapane, N; Thilakarathna, D; Wijekoon, C; Wisenthige, K; Aluthwala, C
The utilization of pop-up advertisements in promoting online games has become increasingly prominent, particularly within freemium gaming models, where advertising serves as a critical revenue and acquisition mechanism. Despite their widespread adoption, limited empirical research has examined how specific advertisement attributes shape advertising value and subsequent player download intentions, especially in emerging digital economies. This study investigates the influence of four key pop-up advertisement attributes; informativeness, creativity, personalization, and credibility, on perceived advertising value and its effect on game download intention in the context of freemium games. Undergraduate game players who belong to the age category of 18–25 years, representing Generation Z were determined as the study sample. Randomly selected participants were asked to engage in a game-playing experience and respond to a structured survey afterward. A total of 386 responses were collected for the analysis and 12 individuals were interviewed after the analysis intending to validate the results. The results revealed that the considered ad characteristics; informativeness, creativity, personalization, and credibility have a significant impact on advertising value and the perceived advertising value significantly influences the player’s game download intentions. Subsequent qualitative interviews conducted with individual gamers validated the analyzed results. The qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results, offering deeper insights into how gamers interpret and respond to in-game pop-up advertisements. This study contributes to the online gaming and digital advertising literature by empirically validating a model of advertising value in freemium gaming contexts. Practically, the findings provide actionable insights for marketers and game developers seeking to optimize pop-up advertisement design to enhance player engagement and increase game installations. Conducted within the Sri Lankan context, the study addresses a notable research gap in emerging digital markets and offers implications applicable to similar underexplored regions.
Economic growth, poverty and female employment on crime rates at global level
(Springer Science and Business Media, 2026-12) Sivakumar, T; Raveendran, T; Jayathilaka, R; Wickramaarachchi, C; Jayasuriya, N
This study investigates the impact of female labour force participation, infant mortality rate, per capita gross domestic product, and urbanisation on crime rates globally and across different regions. Using panel regression techniques on secondary data collected from 106 countries over 34 years (1990-2023), the findings reveal that female labour force participation correlates positively with crime rates globally. The infant mortality rate is positively associated with crime in the European region. Conversely, per capita gross domestic product is negatively related to crime rates globally and in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Urbanisation showed no significant association with crime rates globally or regionally. These insights may help government and law enforcement agencies formulate policies to reduce crime effectively.
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The collection comprises the research output of SLIIT staff and postgraduate research students, including research publications, conference and symposium papers, books, book chapters, theses, and other scholarly materials. Access to full texts may be restricted depending on the access and licensing terms.