A formal anthropological view of motivation models of problematic MMO play: Achievement, social, and immersion factors in the context of culture

Abstract

Yee (2006) found three motivational factors-achievement, social, and immersion-underlying play in massively multiplayer online role-playing games ("MMORPGs" or "MMOs" for short). Subsequent work has suggested that these factors foster problematic or addictive forms of play in online worlds. In the current study, we used an online survey of respondents (N = 252), constructed and also interpreted in reference to ethnography and interviews, to examine problematic play in the World of Warcraft (WoW; Blizzard Entertainment, 2004-2013). We relied on tools from psychological anthropology to reconceptualize each of Yee's three motivational factors in order to test for the possible role of culture in problematic MMO play: (a) For achievement, we examined how "cultural consonance" with normative understandings of success might structure problematic forms of play; (b) for social, we analyzed the possibility that developing overvalued virtual relationships that are cutoff from offline social interactions might further exacerbate problematic play; and (c) in relation to immersion, we examined how "dissociative" blurring of actual- and virtual-world identities and experiences might contribute to problematic patterns. Our results confirmed that compared to Yee's original motivational factors, these culturally sensitive measures better predict problematic forms of play, pointing to the important role of sociocultural factors in structuring online play.

DSM-5 diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder: Some ways forward in overcoming issues and concerns in the gaming studies field

“…Quandt (2017) points to the interplay between the narrative, mechanics, and the context as important elements needing consideration in the context of an IGD diagnosis. This is in line with the points raised above regarding the requirement of an interdisciplinary study of gaming and gaming addiction involving diverse disciplines, such as media, communication and gaming studies, anthropology, and ethnography (Karlsen, 2013; Kuss, 2013a; Snodgrass, et al, 2013). To understand a potential disorder comprehensively, the sociocultural context of gaming as a practice requires elucidation, and the meaning of the gaming for the individual and the gaming community deserves attention.…”

“…Research has previously highlighted the relevance of the sociocultural context to the gaming experience (e.g., Kuss, 2013a, 2013b), stressing that interdisciplinary research including media, communication, human–computer interaction, and gaming studies is the way forward. In addition to this, anthropological (Snodgrass, Dengah, Lacy, & Fagan, 2013) and ethnographical perspectives (Karlsen, 2013; Kuss, 2013a) are also useful as they may shed light on gaming motivations, gaming structure and mechanics, perceived rewarding effects and the meaning of gaming for the individual and the gaming community, and how these may impact differentially on problematic gaming.…”

Stress Moderates the Relationship Between Problematic Internet Use by Parents and Problematic Internet Use by Adolescents

“…Different conceptual frameworks have been proposed as the theoretical basis for the understanding of PIU, particularly among adolescents [5,6]. Among these theoretical models, stress or anxiety reduction has been proposed as a possible explanatory theory for PIU [7].…”

Internet Gaming Addiction in Adolescence: Risk Factors and Maladjustment Correlates

“…Some authors have pointed out the relevance of context and gaming motivations, as the degree of importance and of salience assigned by players to their video gaming activity may lead to very different consequences (Griffiths 2010;Kuss 2013). In particular, the following motivations were identified as relevant: video gaming as coping strategy to deal with daily stressors and negative feelings (Cole and Hooley 2013;King et al 2011;Li et al 2011), the preference for online relationships (Caplan et al 2009), compensation for lack of success in real life, and search for immersion and dissociation (Snodgrass et al 2013). Thus, the development of a Video Game disorder appears to be linked not only to the excessive amount of time spent video gaming but also to the use of Video Games (VGs) as a mean to fulfill those needs that individuals do not (or cannot) satisfy in different ways.…”