Publication details
No mass effect of the genre : Gaming disorder and need satisfaction networks
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Background: Among the factors of developing gaming disorder (GD), need satisfaction (NS) plays a significant role. According to the Self-Determination Theory, unfulfilled needs of relatedness, competence, or autonomy can make one seek satisfaction elsewhere, e.g., in gaming. However, when gaming brings conflict into life, needs dissatisfaction could also become a consequence of gaming. Although some game genres tie GD and NS more strongly than others, the existing evidence is limited so far. Methods: We propose the network framework to explain the structure of GD and NS. 2,541 adult gamers (Mage = 25.7, SDage = 6, 83.4 % men) completed an online questionnaire containing the AICA-C and the Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs. We assumed differences among three genre-based networks. Results: The MMO, MOBA, and FPS genres did not differ in the structure of the networks. In all networks, Escapism was the main bridge between GD and NS. In both MMO and MOBA networks, the Autonomy need was linked to GD. The FPS network differed the most: GD and NS were least connected. Conclusion: Somewhat unexpectedly, needs satisfaction and gaming disorder are related similarly across the genres - genres might not play such a significant role in the feedback loop of NS and GD. This could be due to the increasing complexity of games; they include similar features to increase engagement. Therefore, specific game genres might not be riskier than others. |
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