Connectedness among Autistic Individuals via Online Gaming

Abstract

Challenges in establishing relationships are a primary feature for individuals with Autism (ASD; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, gaming has evolved to meet many of the social needs historically met through one’s immediate environment (Frederick & Jan, 2014). There is emerging evidence that the connections established online are valuable for Autistic individuals who play social video games online (Domahidi et al., 2018). Little is known about the perceptions of loneliness, closeness, and connectedness by Autistic individuals who have online relationships through gaming. This study examines whether Autistic individuals who play online games and who have more online than in-person friends report greater levels of closeness and connectedness and lesser levels of loneliness. Additionally, correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between participants self-reported total number of friendships and these aspects of relationship quality. Results of the study analysis show that there were no significant differences between groups regarding levels of closeness or loneliness. Participants with more online friends reported significantly greater social closeness to their online friends and all friends (both online and face-to-face than participants who had more face-to-face relationships, but no significant difference in the perceived closeness of face-to-face relationships. Lastly, connectedness was found to be more strongly associated with the overall number of relationships, whereas loneliness and closeness were not significantly associated with the number of reported relationships. The study then discusses these findings considering the insight they provide into the attributes of relationships valued within the Autistic gaming community