Online gaming addiction? Motives predict addictive play behavior in massively multiplayer online role-playing games

Kuss, D.J. ORCID: 0000-0001-8917-782X, Louws, J. and Wiers, R.W., 2012. Online gaming addiction? Motives predict addictive play behavior in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15 (9), pp. 480-485.

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Abstract

Recently, there have been growing concerns about excessive online gaming. Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) appears to be particularly problematic, because these games require a high degree of commitment and time investment from the players to the detriment of occupational, social, and other recreational activities and relations. A number of gaming motives have been linked to excessive online gaming in adolescents and young adults. We assessed 175 current MMORPG players and 90 nonplayers using a Web-based questionnaire regarding their gaming behavior, problems as consequences of gaming, and game motivations and tested their statistical associations. Results indicated that (a) MMORPG players are significantly more likely to experience gaming-related problems relative to nonplayers, and that (b) the gaming motivations escapism and mechanics significantly predicted excessive gaming and appeared as stronger predictors than time investment in game. The findings support the necessity of using measures that distinguish between different types of online games. In addition, this study proves useful regarding the current discussion on establishing (online) gaming addiction as a diagnosis in future categorizations of psychopathology.

Item Type: Journal article
Publication Title: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
Creators: Kuss, D.J., Louws, J. and Wiers, R.W.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert
Date: 2012
Volume: 15
Number: 9
Identifiers:
NumberType
10.1089/cyber.2010.0151DOI
Rights: This is a copy of an article published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking © 2012 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.; Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is available online at: http://www.liebertpub.com.
Copyright © 2012 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Divisions: Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by: EPrints Services
Date Added: 09 Oct 2015 10:31
Last Modified: 09 Jun 2017 13:32
URI: https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14155

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