Unveiling the Mind’s Playground: Exploring the Psychological aspects of Gaming in general and VR gaming in especially
Article about the psychological aspects, affects and effects of gaming in general and then especially those of VR gaming!
The introduction of the article discusses the widespread popularity of video gaming as a leisure activity, with over two billion users globally.
It also highlights concerns about the potential dangers of excessive gaming.
The research aims to explore the relationship between video gaming and psychological well-being.
The study surveyed 2,734 individuals, revealing a negative correlation between problematic video gaming and various aspects of psychological functioning, including psychological symptoms, affectivity, coping, and self-esteem.
The article also addresses the reasons individuals play video games and their preferred game genres, suggesting these factors may impact psychological functioning differently.
The study seeks to provide a detailed examination of these relationships, avoiding broad generalizations about video gaming habits.
The introduction outlines the expected negative correlation between problematic gaming and psychological functioning, as well as the potential impacts of reasons for playing and game genre preferences on individuals’ well-being.
The study aims to identify the unique contributions of each aspect of psychological functioning to predicting problematic video game use.
The “Materials and Methods” section of the article provides details about the study’s participants, procedures, and the instruments used for data collection and analysis:
Participants:
– The study involved a total of 2,891 individuals, with 2,421 males and 470 females.
– The participants had an average age of 23.17 years, with a range from 13 to 65.
– After confirming their use of video games, 2,734 participants (2,377 males and 357 females) were included in further analyses.
The average age of this subset was 23.06 years.
Procedure and Instruments:
– The researchers recruited participants by posting links to an online questionnaire on various online forums and popular online game sites. No specific exclusion criteria were set, except for having access to the Internet and understanding German.
– To incentivize participation, four vouchers of €50 each were offered in a raffle.
Video Gaming:
– Potentially problematic video game use was assessed using the AICA-S (Scale for the Assessment of Internet and Computer game Addiction), a standardized self-report scale. It measures gaming behavior related to potential problematic use based on DSM criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder.
– Participants were categorized as regular gamers or problematic gamers based on their AICA-S scores.
– The study used the AICA-S score as a continuous variable for further analysis.
Reasons for Playing:
– Participants indicated how often they played video games for various reasons, such as relaxation, amusement, and because of the storyline.
– Ratings were provided on Likert scales ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (very often).
Game Genres:
– Gamers reported how often they played different video game subgenres, including action, strategy, role-playing, and simulation.
– Ratings were given on Likert scales ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (very often).
– Game subgenres were categorized into main genres, including action, strategy, role-playing, and simulation.
Psychological Functioning:
Participants provided ratings of their psychological functioning on several constructs:
– General psychopathology was assessed using the SCL-K-9 (a short version of the SCL-90-R).
– Coping strategies were measured with the Brief COPE, which includes 10 coping strategies.
– Affect was assessed both as a trait and during video gaming using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).
– Other psychological constructs measured included shyness, loneliness, preference for solitude, life satisfaction, self-esteem, self-efficacy, social support, and grades.
Control Variables:
– Participants’ sex and age were collected as control variables for further analyses.
The methods section provides a comprehensive overview of the study’s design, data collection, and the instruments used to assess various aspects of video gaming and psychological functioning among the participants.
The “Analyses” section of the article summarizes the results obtained from the data collected in the study. Here are the key findings:
Potentially Problematic Video Game Use and Psychological Functioning:
– There was a medium-sized positive correlation between potentially problematic video game use and psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and hostility.
– Coping strategies such as self-blame, behavioral disengagement, denial, and substance use showed positive relations with potentially problematic video game use.
– On the contrary, planning, active coping, and positive reframing were negatively associated with potentially problematic video game use.
– Potentially problematic video game use was positively correlated with general negative affect but negatively associated with general positive affect.
– The experience of both positive and negative affect while playing video games was positively associated with potentially problematic use.
– Factors like preference for solitude, shyness, loneliness, lower self-esteem, lower life satisfaction, and poor perceived social support were related to potentially problematic video game use.
– Fewer offline friends and more online connections were associated with potentially problematic video gaming.
– Poorer school performance (higher grades) was linked to potentially problematic video game use.
Reasons for Playing Video Games and Psychological Functioning:
– Players’ reasons for playing video games were differentially related to psychological functioning.
– Using video games as a distraction from stress was associated with a high level of psychological symptoms.
– Gamers who played for distraction tended to employ coping strategies like self-blame, behavioral disengagement, and denial.
– Players who used video games to improve real-life abilities reported more online connections and higher general positive affect.
– Those who played for social relations in the virtual world reported more positive affect while playing. – Different reasons for playing were weakly related to sex and age.
Video Game Genre and Psychological Functioning:
– Preferences for different video game genres were associated with measures of psychological functioning.
– A preference for action games had the strongest association with affect while playing, indicating both rewarding and frustrating experiences.
– Role-playing game preferences were linked to higher levels of shyness and a preference for solitude, lower self-esteem, fewer offline connections, and lower self-efficacy.
– Preferences for unclassified games were associated with more offline friends and higher positive affect, both while playing and in general.
– The relationship between preferred game genre and psychological functioning differed for males and females, as well as for different age groups.
In summary, the study found significant correlations between video gaming habits, reasons for playing, preferred game genres, and various aspects of psychological functioning. These findings suggest that individuals with different levels of psychological functioning may make different choices in their video game habits, and these choices may, in turn, influence their psychological well-being. This section of the article discusses the results and implications of the study. Here are the key points:
Results:
1. The study found a medium-sized relationship between potentially problematic video game use and poor psychological functioning. This included symptoms of psychological distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, hostility), maladaptive coping strategies, negative emotions, low self-esteem, a preference for solitude, and lower academic performance.
2. Reasons for playing video games were also associated with psychological functioning. Gamers who played to distract themselves from stress and problems reported higher levels of psychological symptoms, lower self-esteem, and more negative emotions. In contrast, gamers who played to establish social relationships in the virtual world reported more positive emotions and a larger number of online connections.
3. Preferred video game genres had weaker associations with psychological functioning. However, action games were linked to stronger emotions while playing and poorer school performance, while role-playing games were associated with shyness, a preference for solitude, and lower self-esteem.
4. Positive affect (positive emotions) while playing video games and a larger number of online friends were the strongest unique predictors of potentially problematic video game use. General psychopathology, a lack of offline social connections, and poor school performance were also predictors but to a lesser extent.
Implications:
The study provides insights into the complex relationship between video gaming and psychological functioning. It suggests that individuals may turn to video games as a way to cope with stress and negative emotions, which can provide immediate rewards in the form of positive emotions and social connections within the gaming community. However, excessive gaming over the long term may hinder the development of functional coping strategies, real-life social connections, and academic success.
The findings also highlight the importance of considering reasons for gaming and preferred game genres when studying the impact of video games on individuals’ well-being. It suggests that interventions aimed at addressing potentially problematic video gaming should take into account the specific motivations and preferences of gamers.
Finally, the study acknowledges its limitations, including its cross-sectional nature, reliance on self-reported data, and the need for longitudinal research to better understand the causal relationship between gaming and psychological functioning. Additionally, the study’s sample was self-selected, and future research should aim for more representative samples.