Passion, craving, and affect in online gaming: Predicting how gamers feel when playing and when prevented from playing

According to the Dualistic Model of Passion, two forms of passion can motivate a behavior: harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Across various life activities, studies have found that the two forms of passion show different relationships with affect, linking harmonious passion to positive affect and obsessive passion to negative affect. To investigate if this pattern also holds for online gaming, the present study investigated 160 gamers involved in playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMOs) and examined positive and negative affect (a) when playing and (b) when prevented from playing. In addition, the effects of general affect and craving for playing MMOs were controlled for. Results were as expected from the Dualistic Model of Passion: Harmonious passion for online gaming predicted positive affect when playing whereas obsessive passion predicted negative affect when playing and when prevented from playing. Moreover, these effects remained unchanged when general affect and craving were controlled for. With this, the present research shows that individual differences in passion for online gaming explain unique variance in gaming-related emotions. Moreover, the present findings suggests that craving is a variable that future research on positive and negative affect in online gaming should pay closer attention to

Understanding the Development of Problematic Use of Massively Multiplayer Online Game

Online gaming has become one of the most popular forms of online leisure activity today. Massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), being highly persistent and immersive, is however often presented as being potentially dangerous of leading to problematic use. Despite a rising concern over this emerging societal challenge, the theoretical understanding of problematic use of MMOG is lacking in the information systems literature. Therefore, the objective of this study is to propose and empirically test a theory-guided model that explains the development of problematic use of MMOG. We built our research model on the hedonic management model of addictions, and explained the role of mood modification and deficient self-regulation in the development of problematic use of MMOG. We will validate the research model using longitudinal survey design and structural equation modeling approach. We believe that the current work presents significant implications to both research and practice

Social gaming: A systematic review

Digital games often constitute a shared activity where people can spend time together, communicate and socialize. Several commercial titles place social interaction at the center of their design. Prior works have investigated the social outcomes of gaming, and factors that impact the experience. Yet, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how social gaming has been approached and explored before. In this work, we present a systematic review covering 263 publications, gathered in February 2021, that study gaming experiences involving more than one person, with a focus on the social element that emerges among partakers (players and/or spectators). We contribute with a systematized understanding of (1) how the topic is being defined and approached, (2) what facets (mainly in terms of outcomes and determinants of the experience) are being acknowledged and (3) the methodologies leveraged to examine these. Our analysis, based on mixed deductive and inductive coding, reveals relevant gaps and tendencies, including (1) the emphasis in novel technologies and unconventional games, (2) the apparent negligence of player diversity, and (3) lower ecological validity associated with totally mediated evaluations and a lack of established constructs to assess social outcomes

Does Gaming Create Partner Agro Online Gamings Impact on Partner Intimacy

This study explored the impact online gaming has on a couples relational intimacy. Gaming has become one of the most popular entertainment Medias in the United States with forty-six percent of American homes having a gaming counsel (Nielsen, 2013). Some of these games are online and gameplay cannot be interrupted and takes up much of the user’s time. Therefore, this study set out to discover if this time commitment had an impact on a relationship’s intimacy levels. This study used data that had been collected in a previous study and reanalyzed it looking for any correlations between the amount of time spent gaming by either partner and the amount of intimacy reported using both the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS) and Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR). To discover the correlations both a linear regression and a quadratic regression were used. Results from the tests found that the correlations varied dependent on which regression analysis was used with both having contradictory results. The quadratic regression showing a positive correlation and the linear regression showing a negative correlation

Online Communities of Female Gamers: A Resistance Analysis of the PMSclan

abstract: This research is focused on competitive female video gamers. This study focuses on a specific group of competitive female gamers who participate in an all female online community group or clan known as the PMSclan. The purpose of the study is to analyze the highly competitive female video gaming clan members of the PMSclan in order to understand how resistance is displayed in a female centered video gaming community and how that affects the identity of the individual gamers through Shaw's (2001) theory of resistance. This study employs qualitative research design and uses content analysis of publicly available clan doctrines and member blogs through the PMSclan website. Findings indicate that collective acts of resistance lead to individual acts of resistance which can be seen through self-expression, self-determination, and empowerment. These acts of resistance have a positive impact on female gamers with outcomes of strength and power which can be displayed in a typically masculine society.Dissertation/ThesisM.S. Recreation and Tourism Studies 201

Relationship between passion and motivation for gaming in players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games

Passion represents one of the factors involved in online video gaming. However, it remains unclear how passion affects the way gamers are involved in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationships between passions and motivations for online game playing. A total of 410 MMORPG players completed an online questionnaire including motives for gaming and the Passion Scale. Results indicated that passionate gamers were interested in relating with others through the game and exhibited a high degree of interest in discovery of the game, gaining leadership and prestige but little interest in escape from reality. However, some differences were observed with respect to the role of the two types of passion in the different types of motivation. Specifically, harmonious passion (HP) predicted higher levels of exploration, socialization, and achievement, in that order, while obsessive passion (OP) predicted higher levels of dissociation, achievement, and socialization. The present findings suggest that HP and OP predict different ways of engaging in MMORPGs and confirm that passion is a useful construct to help understand different motivational patterns demonstrated by MMORPG player

Online-only friends, real-life friends or strangers? Differential associations with passion and social capital in video game play

The present study tests a recently proposed model in which social video game play supports wellbeing by contributing to a harmonious type of engagement with the game. Players (N = 2030) of the online-only multiplayer first-person shooter game, Destiny, reported the frequency they played with real-life friends, online-only friends and strangers, their type of engagement with the game – measured as harmonious and obsessive passion, and completed a wellbeing measure of social capital. \ud \ud Telemetry data also recorded their total time playing over the duration of the study. A structural equation model supported the prediction that harmonious – but not obsessive – passion would mediate the positive association between playing with others and social capital. \ud \ud The findings also supported a supplementary hypothesis that the three types of social relationships would be differentially associated with two forms of social capital – bridging versus bonding – as a function of the closeness of social ties. Real-life friends was positively associated with bonding, strangers with bridging, and online-only friends with both. \ud \ud Overall, these results emphasise that social interactions in (and around) online multiplayer video games are effective for building social capital, and do so by ensuring game play is in harmony with other goals and values

The psychology of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG's)

This paper reviews the literature on the psychological predictors of the problematic use of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). Nineteen studies were included in the review and results are discussed in terms of seven broad areas; Play time, Demographic differences, Psychological wellbeing and mental health, Personality, Cognitive factors, Physiological factors and Gamer experience and motivations. As a new area of research, the literature at present shows some limitations and inconsistencies across studies. Often factors have been considered in only one published paper, or findings are variable. The most consistent evidence suggests that increased play time is a significant risk factor for problematic use, along with mental health problems and poor psychological wellbeing. The strongest and most consistent predictor of problematic use identified so far appears to be the immersive use of MMORPGs in escaping from real life. Further research should replicate these results and continue to investigate alternative possible risk factors. Longitudinal studies are imperative to differentiate confidently between risk factors and outcomes of problematic gaming, and group comparison studies should include problematic gamers, non-problematic gamers and a non-gaming control group to establish factors associated with problematic gaming specifically as oppose to gaming in general. Studies should consider the impact of age and location of the target population so that results are generalisable to the MMORPG population as a whole. Implication for prevention and intervention of problematic gaming are discussed along with the implications of research in this area on the gaming industry

Prosocial Behavior and Teamwork in Online Computer Games

The use of technology for training purposes is a growing field. Many of the traits for successful team building are shared by a variety of video games, overcoming the limitations of traditional team-building exercises. The goal of this research project was to study social and teamwork oriented behaviors within the settings of online computer games. One hundred and eighty-one individuals completed an online survey in which they were asked questions regarding team-work behaviors. These individuals also participated in a game scenario which measured their social orientation. The hypotheses for this research were that individuals who play online computer games will score higher on both teamwork behaviors and social orientation scale. It was also hypothesized that individuals who play cooperative games would score higher in both teamwork behaviors and prosocial orientation compared to competitive gamers. None of the analyses yielded significant results. Reasons as to possibilities for these results are discussed along with ideas for future studies