MMORPGs and Their Effect on Players

The purpose of this essay is to explore the popularity and effects of video games in the MMORPG genre. Games and play have been a part of human culture for an exceptionally long time, and in the recent decades video games have a become a large medium to continue this. Studying how video games, such as MMORPGs, can be used in order to advance life skills is important to understand the future of human development. By researching other studies done on various topics of related to MMORPG, I developed the idea that this genre of video games could be very impactful on future human development. The skills taught while playing a MMORPG can have real world applications and have shown preliminary success in doing so. Such skills include rapid decision making, civic responsibility, and social skills have been shown to improve as players play in this fantasy world. As such, further research into the full impact of MMORPGs needs to be done to fully understand the full scope of skills being utilized and developed during this form of play

Relationship between online role-playing games, personality and interpersonal relationships

Online gaming is a relatively new concept, yet due to the millions of followers these games have attracted over the past decade; it is not difficult to deduce that they are not going away any time soon. Individuals use the Internet for many things, including news, email, shopping, instant messaging and entertainment (gaming) (Griffiths, et al., 2003; Yee, 2006a; 2006b). Millions of these same individuals play Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) as their source of entertainment. These players interact socially within the game with one another, many on a daily basis, and spend huge amounts of time doing so. During these long hours, research has shown that many of these players form relationships and some of these relationships lead to real life relationships (Cole & Griffiths, 2007; Yee, 2006b). Many of these individuals consider these online relationships equal to their offline relationships (Ng & Wiemer-Hastings, 2005). It is suggested that these players are introverted and lack social interaction; however, some believe that using the Internet in this manner is equivalent to offline face to face social interaction. Many lose track of the time while playing MMORPGs and when engaging in other online activities, and some of these individuals experience symptoms related to loneliness (Ng & Wiemer-Hastings, 2005). Therefore, previous research suggests there is a relationship between Online Gaming, Personality, and Interpersonal Relationships. This study was designed to examine relationships between personality characteristics and amount of time playing a popular game called World of Warcraft (WoW). Additionally, this study examined how motivations to play the game are related to personality characteristics, preference for online interpersonal interaction, and social anxiety. A Demographics Questionnaire including age, country of residence, sex, occupation, employment status and other information about their online game playing was used. Additionally, the M5-50 Personality Inventory (McCord, 2002) was used as a short measure of the participant’s personality traits, collected through a fifty item scale which resulted in scores for the five domains of: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. The participants also completed the Preference for Online Social Interaction Questionnaire (Caplan, 2003) which is a 4 item measure of the individual’s preference for online vs. offline face to face social interaction. The items were summed for a total score with higher scores representing preference for online social interaction. Motivations for Play Questionnaire (Yee, 2006a), which measures activities the participant engages in while online, which MMORPGs they play, the amount of time spent playing the specified MMORPG per week, and activities they are involved in while playing the MMORPG. The scale consisted of 40 questions which participants answered using a five point response scale then the individual items were summed into each of the primary components. Finally, the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS), a measure of social anxiety was completed by the participants. The scale consisted of 15 items which participants answered based on a five point Likert-type scale. Scores were summed and overall higher scores on the scale reflect higher levels of social anxiety. The study included 381 participants who were recruited from the Internet sites where WoW players frequently post and read messages. The participants were 88% male and 12% female and the range of participants’ ages was 18 to 69 years, with a mean of 24.29 years. Participants were actually engaged in playing the MMORPG “World of Warcraft”. The median amount of time spent playing WoW per week was 16 to 20 hours. A small, positive correlation was found between the amount of time spent playing WoW and Neuroticism and a small, negative correlation between of time spent playing WoW and Extraversion. Examination of the relationships between achievement motivation to play and Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness found small, negative correlations between achievement motivation to play and Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness with higher levels of motivation to play associated with lower levels of Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness. An examination of the relationship between social motivation to play, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Openness to Experience found small, positive relationships between social motivation to play and Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience. The relationship between immersion motivation to play and Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience was investigated which found small, negative relationships between immersion motivation to play and Extraversion and Conscientiousness; and a small, positive relationship between immersion motivation to play and Openness to Experience. Finally, the relationship between the preference for online social interaction and the interactive anxiousness scale was investigated resulting in a moderate to strong, positive relationship, with higher levels of preference for online social interaction associated with higher levels of interactive anxiousness

Massively Multiplayer Online Gamers: Motivations and Risks

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) are a popular type of online video game. While these games and their players have been studied previously, there is gap in the literature that examines the relationship between one’s motivation to play MMOGs and loneliness, depression, and problematic use. For this study, 440 players of World of Warcraft (WoW), a popular MMOG, completed a demographics questionnaire and four measures, including Williams, Yee, & Caplan’s (2008) motivation measure, Peter’s & Malesky’s (2008) World of Warcraft-specific Problematic Usage-Engagement Questionnaire, UCLA’s Loneliness scale, and The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Results from quantitative analyses suggest that MMO players who are motivated to play for reasons of achievement and immersion are more likely to experience problematic use than those persons who play for social motivations. Loneliness and depression were only positively related with immersion motivated players, and there exists a significant negative relationship between social motivation and depression. These results suggest that gamers who play WoW for immersive reasons are the most at-risk in comparison to their peers. Implications for counseling, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed

Online Gaming Issues in Offline Couple Relationships: A Primer for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)

Although the challenges around participation in online gaming grow, gamers and their partners who experience online relationship issues related to gaming, present a new set of treatment challenges for therapists. In this article, we report on the findings of a hermeneutic research study aimed at evaluating the scholarly literature related to online gaming and interpret these texts to determine the effect such online activity has on the couple relationship. We reviewed 18 articles published between 1998 and 2010 related to online gaming and interpersonal relationships, focusing solely on empirical articles related to the search criteria. Our interpretation of the text concluded that online gaming might add to and/or interfere with a couple’s life. Based on these potential problem areas, practical considerations for treatment are also outlined

The Influence of Perceived Belonging on Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

While some service providers of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) lose significant numbers of players over time, others maintain a strong growth trajectory. Drawing from the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Need to Belong theory, we believe that an individual’s Perceived Belonging (i.e., the degree to which a person feels connected to and accepted by others) positively influences his/her Actual MMORPG Usage, i.e., how often he/she plays MMORPGs. After collecting 71 online questionnaires and applying a structural equation modeling approach, we found that Perceived Belonging’s positive influence on Actual MMORPG Usage is fully mediated by Perceived Enjoyment. Overall, our study suggests that MMORPG service providers should include belonging-oriented aspects into their games, such as the possibility of interacting and cooperating with other players, in order to increase individuals’ game usage through their Perceived Belonging

Social and emotional aspects of World of Warcraft players

This quantitative research thesis investigated the social and emotional aspects of World of Warcraft (WOW) players through the use of an online survey. The sample consisted of 374 online survey respondents of which 215 were used in final data analysis. The survey investigated demographics, gameplay habits, social anxiety, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and self-esteem. A binary logistic regression found that class specialization, hours played, social anxiety severity, and depression severity were predictive of internet gaming disorder (IGD). A univariate ANOVA found there was significant interaction effects between the constructs of depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and IGD. The results suggest that IGD is not wholly influenced by a specific disorder but instead by the person’s mental health in general, however, social anxiety was significantly associated after accounting for interaction effects. The researcher concluded that treatment of IGD requires attention to comorbid social and emotional aspects and the ecosystem of comorbidity in which they exist

The Social, Anti-Social Network: A Qualitative Study on Pro Social Benefits of Online Multiplayer Gaming

Using the social capital and uses and gratifications perspectives, this study employs a qualitative, interview-based approach to studying the pro-social benefits of online multiplayer gaming.Through in-depth interviews, this study contributes to the literature of pro-social benefits of online multiplayer gaming by corroborating past research with evidence that online multiplayer gaming fosters the generation of social capital, both bridging and bonding, and cultural capital. Further, online gaming offers players a sense of community, provides them the tools to form and work together in coordinated teams, and allows them to feel a sense of mastery, excitement, and accomplishment with each in-game victory

Evidence on Problematic Online Gaming and Social Anxiety over the Past Ten Years: a Systematic Literature Review

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe present study aimed to review the literature concerning the relationship between problematic online gaming (POG) and social anxiety, taking into account the variables implicated in this relationship. This review included studies published between 2010 and 2020 that were indexed in major databases with the following keywords: Internet gaming, disorder, addiction, problematic, social phobia, and social anxiety.Recent FindingsIn recent years, scientific interest in POG has grown dramatically. Within this prolific research field, difficulties associated with social anxiety have been increasingly explored in relation to POG. Indeed, evidence showed that individuals who experience social anxiety are more exposed to the risk of developing an excessive or addictive gaming behavior.SummaryA total of 30 studies satisfied the initial inclusion criteria and were included in the present literature review. Several reviewed studies found a strong association between social anxiety and online gaming disorder. Furthermore, the relationships among social anxiety, POG, age, and psychosocial and comorbid factors were largely explored. Overall, the present review showed that socially anxious individuals might perceive online video games as safer social environments than face-to-face interactions, predisposing individuals to the POG. However, in a mutually reinforcing relationship, individuals with higher POG seem to show higher social anxiety. Therefore, despite online gaming might represent an activity able to alleviate psychopathological symptoms and/or negative emotional states, people might use online gaming to counterbalance distress or negative situations in everyday life, carrying out a maladaptive coping strategy

Evidence on Problematic Online Gaming and Social Anxiety over the Past Ten Years: a Systematic Literature Review

Purpose of Review: The present study aimed to review the literature concerning the relationship between problematic online gaming (POG) and social anxiety, taking into account the variables implicated in this relationship. This review included studies published between 2010 and 2020 that were indexed in major databases with the following keywords: Internet gaming, disorder, addiction, problematic, social phobia, and social anxiety. Recent Findings: In recent years, scientific interest in POG has grown dramatically. Within this prolific research field, difficulties associated with social anxiety have been increasingly explored in relation to POG. Indeed, evidence showed that individuals who experience social anxiety are more exposed to the risk of developing an excessive or addictive gaming behavior. Summary: A total of 30 studies satisfied the initial inclusion criteria and were included in the present literature review. Several reviewed studies found a strong association between social anxiety and online gaming disorder. Furthermore, the relationships among social anxiety, POG, age, and psychosocial and comorbid factors were largely explored. Overall, the present review showed that socially anxious individuals might perceive online video games as safer social environments than face-to-face interactions, predisposing individuals to the POG. However, in a mutually reinforcing relationship, individuals with higher POG seem to show higher social anxiety. Therefore, despite online gaming might represent an activity able to alleviate psychopathological symptoms and/or negative emotional states, people might use online gaming to counterbalance distress or negative situations in everyday life, carrying out a maladaptive coping strategy