Personality, Motivation, and Online Gaming
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The increased popularity of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) has resulted in more people playing online games at excessive rates. This genre of game can integrate with a player’s sense of self, and often reinforces continued play to the extent of the game threatening the structure of their life, including levels of functioning in school, work, and relationships. One area of research in need of further investigation is how personality theory can expand counselors’ understanding of motivational conditions involved in online video game play.
Understanding this culture of individuals, particularly pertaining to how playing the game relates to personality and motivation, may have relevance for counselor education and supervision. The neglect of “real” world responsibilities or relationships could result in interpersonal difficulties in which counseling services would prove beneficial. Exploring potential effects between personality type and motivation through application of already existing measurement tools is one method of broadening professional understanding of the problem. This study was designed to identify main effects between personality type and player motivations present in consumers of this form of media. Results from this study are intended provide useful information for the treatment of those who develop associated problems relating to their patterns of play.
The structure of this study looked for similarities and differences across personality types, as defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the various motivations for playing MMORPG games identified in current game-related research. For this purpose, participation involved the completion of online questionnaires (MBTI-M and MPOGQ) by players of the specific online game targeted for this study; Star Wars: The Old Republic. Significant differences across certain personality types were found in most gaming motivation categories. This study also explored the connection between the single-letter attitudes (I/E) and functions (S/N, T/F, and J/P) and gaming motivations. Additional research questions explored the similarities/differences for personality and motivation for variables pertaining to structures within the game, in an effort to establish which activities appeal to various personalities. Findings suggest personality does have an impact on the manner in which MMORPG players seek to participate in their game of choice.
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Abstracts: This research explored personality traits of video gamers utilizing the Big Five Inventory (BFI) totaling 19,416 video gamer participants across seven genres of video game play. The purpose was to uncover personality differences among the different preferred genres of video gamers. Different personality profiles were explored by employing t-tests and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Mapping of the BFI elements of video gamers across video game genres was conducted using latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify video gamer personality profiles, personality formations across preferred genres of play, examine the pattern of relationships among the variables, and to determine whether different personalities gravitate to specific genres of play. Results found four distinct and different personality profiles: Introversive, Extroversive, Secure Ambiversive, and Insecure Ambiversive; indicated no support for the different classification of video gamers possessing statistically different personality traits (i.e. causal, regular, hardcore); or different genres of video game play did have different personality types playing each genre. As such, evidence is provided for different personalities gravitating towards different genres of play and Carl Jung's (1921) idea of the introversion/extroversion continuum. Limitations observed were some findings becoming statistically significant with small effect sizes and the BFI possibly not being nuanced enough to detect smaller personality traits. Strengths were the large participant base, generalizability of the study to the video gamer population, and this study providing a basis for personality playing a role in virtual worlds.
Bupropion has been used in the treatment of patients with substance dependence based on its weak inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake. We hypothesized that 6 weeks of bupropion sustained release (SR) treatment would decrease craving for Internet game play as well as video game cue-induced brain activity in patients with Internet video game addiction (IAG). Eleven subjects who met criteria for IAG, playing StarCraft (>30 hr/week), and eight healthy comparison subjects (HC) who had experience playing StarCraft (<3 days/week and <1 hr/day). At baseline and at the end of 6 weeks of bupropion SR treatment, brain activity in response to StarCraft cue presentation was assessed using 1.5 Tesla functional MRI. In addition, symptoms of depression, craving for playing the game, and the severity of Internet addiction were evaluated by Beck Depression Inventory, self-report of craving on a 7-point visual analogue scale, and Young's Internet Addiction Scale, respectively. In response to game cues, IAG showed higher brain activation in left occipital lobe cuneus, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and left parahippocampal gyrus than HC. After a 6 week period of bupropion SR, craving for Internet video game play, total game play time, and cue-induced brain activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were decreased in the IAG. We suggest that bupropion SR may change craving and brain activity in ways that are similar to those observed in individuals with substance abuse or dependence.
Hypothesized that given the methods and content similarity of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Extraversion-Introversion scales of the inventories will be significantly positively correlated. Data from 93 undergraduates support the prediction and provide a demonstration of convergent validity at the self-report questionnaire level.
Journal name is wrong; ResearchGate doesn't allow to enter Journal of Online Behavior
Examined how friendships are developed in a virtual Internet world called multi-user-dungeons (MUDs). According to Social Information Processing perspective, people learn to verbalize online that which is nonverbal offline, with increasing time. The use of verbal paralanguage should be an important factor in the development of impressions. Sociability, as a general trait, and skepticism towards computer-mediated communication (CMC), as a situation-specific attitude, could also influence this process. 103 MUD users (mean age 23.5 yrs) completed a questionnaire concerning their online friendships, MUD use, attitude about MUDding, use of paralanguage, sociability, and skepticism toward CMC. 77% of the MUDders reported relationships with others. Results supported the Social Information Processing perspective: Sociability had little influence, whereas skepticism towards CMC was an important predictor …
Video gaming has become a popular leisure activity in many parts of the world, and an increasing number of empirical studies examine the small minority that appears to develop problems as a result of excessive gaming. This study investigated prevalence rates and predictors of video game addiction in a sample of gamers, randomly selected from the National Population Registry of Norway (N=3389). Results showed there were 1.4 % addicted gamers, 7.3 % problem gamers, 3.9 % engaged gamers, and 87.4 % normal gamers. Gender (being male) and age group (being young) were positively associated with addicted-, problem-, and engaged gamers. Place of birth (Africa, Asia, South-and Middle America) were positively associated with addicted-and problem gamers. Video game addiction was negatively associated with conscientiousness and positively associated with neuroticism. Poor psychosomatic health was positively associated with problem-and engaged gaming. These factors provide insight into the field of video game addiction, and may help to provide guidance as to how individuals that are at risk of becoming addicted gamers can be identified.
Computer role-playing games (CRPGs) are a special genre of computer games that bring the tabletop role-playing experience of games such as Dungeons & Dragons to the computer screen. This genre includes classics such as Ultima and The Bard’s Tale as well as more modern games such as World of Warcraft and Guild Wars. Written in an engaging style for both the computer game enthusiast and the more casual computer game player, this book explores the history of the genre by telling the stories of the developers, games, and gamers who created it.
This study was carried out to investigate whether the levels of university students' problematic internet use and of perceived communication skills differ with respect to their basic internet use purposes. The participants were 411 university students [215 of whom were females (52.30%) and 196 of whom were males (47.70%)]. In the study, the Problematic Internet Use Scale and the Communication Skills Evaluation Scale were applied. The analysis of the data was carried out via multivariate analysis of variance. The findings revealed that university students' perceived communication skill levels did not differ with respect to their main internet use purposes but that the levels of their problematic internet use did. In this respect, it was found that in terms of basic internet use purpose, the problematic internet use levels of the university students who "use the internet for entertainment purposes" and of those who "use the internet to establish social relationships with unfamiliar people" were significantly higher than that of those who "use the internet to obtain information." This result points out that the use of the internet for entertainment and social interaction constitutes an important risk factor for the emergence of the problematic internet use symptoms. © 2011 Eḡitim Dani{dotless}şmanli{dotless}gi{dotless} ve Arasti{dotless}rmalari{dotless} Iletişim Hizmetleri Tic. Ltd. Şti.
