Gaming, Workplace, Self-Esteem, Counterproductive Work Behaviors

Although there is ample information on the negative aspects of video game playing, we know less about the benefits and how the benefits transfer to the gamers’ workplace. Further understanding of these relationships may offer employees and employers more insight on how they can reduce counterproductive workplace behaviors (CWB) while also improving workplace morale and productivity. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study is to examine the relationships between time spent engaging in gameplay, workplace self-esteem, and positive and negative workplace behaviors among gamers. Participants anonymously completed an online questionnaire utilizing the Behind the Screen Measure, Counterproductive Workplace Behavior Checklist, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Work Extrinsic Intrinsic Motivation Scale. The crosssectional design consisted of 202 self-identified employed gamers over the age of 18 living in the United States. A series of linear regressions was used to test the hypotheses. According to the study results, frequency of gameplay and workplace self-esteem levels predicted CWB and intrinsic motivation, with low workplace self-esteem being a significant predictor of negative work-related behaviors. Employers, gamers, and friends and family also benefit from the knowledge that over two and a half hours of gaming could have negative effects on their self-esteem and work behaviors. This study facilitates positive social change by promoting a need for increased awareness to gamers and organizations which offer support and long-term positive social change among two different populations

Cyber-Psychopathy: Examining the Relationship between Dark E-Personality and Online Misconduct

Currently, there is a lack of research investigating how the unique structural conditions of cyberspace may influence the expression of ‘dark’ personality and the role of such e-personality in explaining instances of online misconduct. Using a theoretical framework of context-dependent personality, this study seeks to fill a gap in the literature by using self-report survey data to explore whether the internet may decrease, increase, or intensify the expression of psychopathy. Quantitative data analysis in this study shows that when controlling for social context, internet users exhibit higher levels of psychopathy online than offline, which is especially pronounced in male subsamples. Further multivariate models examine the role of this ‘cyber-psychopathy’ in understanding misconduct behaviours on the internet, such as cyber-stalking, trolling, flaming, and digital piracy. Results demonstrate that primary cyber-psychopathy is positively correlated with one’s level of acceptability toward online misconduct behaviours, while both primary and secondary cyber-psychopathy are positively associated with one’s tendency toward engaging in such transgressions. This study serves to highlight the potential impacts of heightened psychopathic personality online, while suggesting practical implications that emphasize the need to foster empathy and close psychological distance between internet users in online communities

A Qualitative IPA of the Motivations of Retirees’ Transitions to ‘Retirement’ Social Identities and the Consequences on Retirement Adjustment Satisfaction

Retirement is a relatively new phenomenon in relation toshifting from being a privilege for the few to becoming anormative ‘third age’ of the life course. However, retirementrepresents one of the major life course transitions in late adultlife and associated with this transition is the question of howwell people adjust to retirement and the consequences of howwell people negotiate this adjustment on their sense of worthand well-being can be either negative or positive. This paperpresents a qualitative approach through Social Identity Theoryand Self-determination Theory to explore the underpinningmotivational processes of retirees in their transition to‘retirement’ social identities and the consequences onsatisfaction in retirement. Semi-structured interviews wereconducted with four white British participants includingthree males and one female ranging in age from sixty-fourto sixty-nine and having retired between fifteen months andfour years. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ofthe transcribed interviews led to five main themes emerging,namely Strength of identity with working life; Significanceof non-work-related aspects of life; Psychologically preparingfor retirement; Process of shifting/adjusting to retirement;Meeting expectations of retirement. The study found thatretirement is not a formulaic process but people experienceadjusting to retirement differently based on their individualmotivations and resources for preparing for and facilitatingthe transition. The findings from the study has implicationsin relation to the provision of intervention in supportingindividuals psychologically preparing for retirement beyondfinancial planning along with those experiencing negativeconsequences in transitioning to retirement