Are there two types of escapism? Exploring a dualistic model of escapism in digital gaming and online streaming.

Abstract

Escapism is predominantly assumed to be a negative aspect of media consumption. However, research also indicates that escapism may spur positive psychological outcomes. Here, using a 2-dimensional model of escapism and its corresponding scale, we tested a dualistic approach to escapism in relation to both gaming and online streaming. Data were collected from 2 separate Web-based questionnaires. Study 1 comprised 126 dedicated gamers, whereas Study 2 comprised 191 university students regularly using streaming services. Results showed that the Escapism scale-with its 2 dimensions, Self-Expansion and Self-Suppression-demonstrated good factorial validity and internal consistency in both samples. In the gaming sample, self-expansion was related to positive psychological outcomes from gaming, whereas self-suppression was substantially overlapping with Internet gaming disorder (Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test [IGDT-10]) and negative psychological outcomes. In the streaming sample, self-expansion was related to general positive affect and approach coping, whereas self-suppression was related to avoidance coping and general negative affect, tested in a path model. Overall, results provide preliminary support for a 2-dimensional conceptualization of escapism in media engagement, here evidenced in gaming and streaming. Furthermore, results indicate that a dualistic operationalization of escapism, currently not incorporated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, or International Classification of Diseases, 11th Edition, Revised, classifications of pathological gaming in may help distinguish healthy from unhealthy gaming and may also be relevant for distinguishing adaptive from maladaptive streaming. Public Policy Relevance StatementEscapism is an imperative motivation in media consumption. Nevertheless, the phenomenon is debated and has been criticized for having an ambiguous role in, for example, the classification of pathological gaming (in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and International Classification of Diseases, 11th Edition, Revised). In 2 studies, derived from the 2dimensional model of escapism, an adaptive and a maladaptive form of escapism was identified in gaming and streaming, illuminating a potential explanation for the unsettled role of escapism in media engagement.

Network Structures of Internet Gaming Disorder and Gaming Disorder: Symptom Operationalization Causes Variation

“…Conceptually, this is consistent with the previous findings where gaming for mood management also occurs in non-problematic play (Lemmens et al, 2015;Rehbein et al, 2015). Although recent literature (Stenseng et al, 2021) has suggested different operationalizations to reflect different kinds of escape and only those involving "self-suppression" to be IGD-relevant, in our data escape was weak and non-influential despite self-suppressive operationalization-thus yielding counterevidence for the above. Notably, the ICD-11 does not list any mood management as a criterion for GD.…”

Gaming motivations and gaming disorder symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…(2014) consensus statement on IGD criteria; PGQ = Problematic gaming questionnaire, 22-item adapted from gambling ( Gentile, 2009 ; Charlton, 2002 ); PIU = Problematic Internet Use scale (PIU) ( Chen, Lo, & Lin, 2015 ); POGQ-18 = Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire (Demetrovics et al, 2012) ; POGQ-12 = Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire ( Pápay et al, 2013 ); POGUS = Problematic Online Gaming Use Scale ( Kim & Kim, 2010 ); PVGT = Problem Video Game Playing Test ( King et al, 2011 ); PVP = Problem Video Game Playing Questionnaire ( Salguero & Morán, 2002 ); YDQ-8 = Young Diagnostic Questionnaire - 8 item ( Young, 1998b ); YIAT-WoW Internet Addiction Test – World of Warcraft version ( Young, 1998a ; Khazaal et al, 2008 ; Billieux et al., 2013 ). ES = the Escapism Scale ( Stenseng et al, 2021 ); EGMQ = Electronic Gaming Motives Questionnaire ( Myrseth et al., 2017 ); GAMES = The gaming attitudes, motives, and experiences scales ( Hilgard et al., 2013 ); GAMS = Gaming Motivations Scale ( Lafrenière et al., 2012 ); MOGQ = The Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire ( Demetrovics et al., 2011 ); MOGQ-14 = Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire -14 ( Demetrovics et al., 2011 ; Kircaburun et al., 2018 ); MPOGQ = Motivations for Play in Online Games ( Yee, 2006a ); MPOGQ-WoW = Motivations for Play in Online Games adapted to World of Warcraft ( Billieux et al., 2013 ; Yee, 2006b ); MPOGQ-10 = Motivations for Play in Online Games ( Williams et al., 2008 ); NE = The Negative escapism scale ( Hagström & Kaldo, 2014 ); OGMS = Online Gaming Motivations Scale ( Yee et al., 2012 ); PENS = Player Experience of Need Satisfaction ( Ryan et al., 2006 ); VMQ = Videogaming Motives Questionnaire ( López-Fernández et al., 2020 ). US = United States, CA = Canada, BR = Brazil, PE = Peru, UK = United Kingdom, GE= Germany, NE = Netherlands, FI = Finland, PL = Poland, FR= France, IT = Italy, SE = Sweden, RO = Romania, AT = Austria, CZ = Czechia, PT = Portugal, DK = Denmark, GR = Greece, HU = Hungary, NO = Norway, ES = Spain, BE = Belgium, LV = Latvia, RU = Russia, CH = Switzerland, HR = Croatia, LT = Lithuania, LU = Luxembourg, MT = Malta, RS = Serbia, SK = Slovakia, SI = Slovenia, TR = Turkey, NG = Nigeria, SG = Singapore, IN = India, KR = South Korea, HK = Hong Kong, ID = Indonesia, IQ = Iraq, IL = Israel, JP = Japan, TH = Thailand, AE = United Arab Emirates, AU = Australia, NZ = New Zealand and PH = Philippines (the).…”

“…ES 5 the Escapism Scale (Stenseng et al, 2021); EGMQ 5 Electronic Gaming Motives Questionnaire (Myrseth et al, 2017); GAMES 5…”

Motivations of playing digital games: A review and research agenda

“…Moreover, “escapist” gaming may act as a coping strategy for dealing with real‐life difficulties, this was associated with more problematic outcomes (Stetina et al, 2011). However, and more recently, studies are starting to indicate that escapism may spur positive psychological outcomes (Li et al, 2015; Stenseng et al, 2021). For instance, the increase of mobile, portable handheld consoles coupled with AR games are known to provide ease of access which gives players convenience of playing the game anywhere and at any time, thus reinforcing escapism (Ghazali et al, 2019; Laor, 2020) as a means to de‐stress or distract themselves unpleasant situations and negative mood states (Nordby et al, 2019).…”