Identification of Avatar Mediates the Associations Between Motivations of Gaming and Internet Gaming Disorder Among the Malaysian Youth

T’ng, Soo Ting; Pau, Kee

doi:10.1007/s11469-020-00229-9

Cited by 30 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Moreover, previous studies focusing on the relationship between gaming motivation styles and psychosocial outcomes have indeed found different gaming motives to be associated with different outcomes. Some gaming motives have been consistently associated with gaming disorders, such as advancement ( T’ng and Pau, 2021 ) and escape motive ( Bowditch et al, 2018 ), while others, such as the social motive, are seen to be beneficial to the physical and mental health of players, at least to a certain extent ( Billieux et al, 2013 ). Elucidating the inconsistencies found between online gaming and psychosocial wellbeing through the lens of motivation is therefore crucial and necessary ( Yee, 2006a ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaming Motivation and Negative Psychosocial Outcomes in Male Adolescents: An Individual-Centered 1-Year Longitudinal Study

Chen

Chai

et al. 2021

Front. Psychol.

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“Gaming motivation” is a useful concept to draw upon when considering inconsistencies in the effects of online gaming on psychosocial wellbeing. However, most prior studies that utilize it are cross-sectional and do not allow that individuals can be driven by multiple motives. The present study uses an individual-centered method to classify gaming motivation styles of male adolescents and longitudinally observes the relationship between gaming motivations and psychosocial outcomes. A total of 929 healthy, male, adolescent gamers were recruited in October 2019 and classified into “recreational” “achiever,” and “escaper” categories according to their baseline gaming motivations and self-esteem levels. Then, 1-year incidence rates of players and relative risks (RRs) of social withdrawal problems, anxiety/depression syndrome, and self-destructive/identity problems were assessed. Recreational players were found to have the lowest incidence of all the three psychosocial problems among the three categories, achievers only had a moderate risk of social withdrawal, compared to recreational players, while escapers showed a strong risk for social withdrawal, anxiety/depression, and self-destructive/identity problems, relative to recreational gamers. Overall, the different motivation subgroups were associated with different psychosocial problems. Both achievers and escapers were found to be maladaptive, but their psychosocial outcomes were different, a finding that provides further insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying these subgroups.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaming Motivation and Negative Psychosocial Outcomes in Male Adolescents: An Individual-Centered 1-Year Longitudinal Study

Chen

Chai

et al. 2021

Front. Psychol.

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“…They invest many cognitive, emotional, and attentional resources into games, which cause stronger avatar identification (T'ng & Pau, 2020;van Reijmersdal et al, 2013;Zhong & Yao, 2012). Subsequently, they are immersed in the fierce confrontation of the game and experience similarly intense emotional and cognitive responses through their virtual selves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, as a manifestation of internal state activation, avatar identification may mediate the influence of competitive motivation on aggressive behavior. Specifically, because they have stronger emotional, cognitive, and attentional investments in games, players with strong competitive motivation exhibit higher levels of avatar identification (T'ng & Pau, 2020;van Reijmersdal et al, 2013;Zhong & Yao, 2012).…”

Section: The Mediating Role Of Avatar Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Competitive game motivation and trait aggression among Chinese adolescent players of Glory of the King: The mediating role of avatar identification and game aggression

Chen

Wang

et al. 2022

Aggressive Behavior

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Previous studies have shown that competitive video gaming is associated with aggression; however, little is known about the relationship between personal competitive factors and aggression. Thus, we used structural equation modeling to examine the association between competitive game motivation and trait aggression, as well as the potential mediating roles of avatar identification and game aggression, among 1584 (59.66% male; Mage = 14.58 years, SD = 1.49, range = 12–19) Chinese adolescent players of Glory of the King. The results showed that the direct effect of competitive game motivation on trait aggression was statistically significant, as were the indirect effects of competitive motivation—via both avatar identification and game aggression—on the three indicators of aggressive behavioral tendencies in everyday life. These results support the General Aggression Model, suggesting that competitive motivation is a personal factor predicting trait aggression. It contributes to our understanding of the roles of competition in video gamers' real‐life aggressive behavior from an individual perspective.

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“…Importantly, a higher degree of identification with the avatar may give rise to positive consequences for users, such as in pursuing personal desires or needs, that the user is not able to fulfil themselves. However, negative consequences may also arise; for example, for those that use avatars to play in virtual environments, greater identification may increase the likelihood of developing a gaming addiction [66]. As such, a lower degree of identification with the avatar is a variable that may be beneficial for some patients, but not others.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Could Avatar Therapy Enhance Mental Health in Chronic Patients? A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

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The use of avatars in the psychological treatment of some chronic diseases is in their infancy, and it represents a growing field of research with many possibilities for innovation. However, there is a lack of studies seeking to determine if avatar-based therapies could improve mental health in chronic care settings. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review addressing this research topic. The objectives of this study were to review the scientific literature on those studies involving avatar-based therapies for chronic patients, as well as different ways to develop them and their efficacy on mental health outcomes. Two main questions were addressed: (1) Are avatar-based strategies useful to improve mental health in chronic patients? (2) Which is the best way to develop avatar-based strategies regarding chronic diseases? A systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted in March 2021. The results were, not only useful for establishing suitable ways to develop avatar-based strategies to improve mental health in chronic care, but also for providing an ad hoc taxonomy regarding this research topic. Five modalities were established according to technological complexity and avatar presentation. Most of the studies were effective (61.1%) in enhancing mental health in chronic care.

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Identification of Avatar Mediates the Associations Between Motivations of Gaming and Internet Gaming Disorder Among the Malaysian Youth

Cited by 30 publications

References 57 publications

Gaming Motivation and Negative Psychosocial Outcomes in Male Adolescents: An Individual-Centered 1-Year Longitudinal Study

Gaming Motivation and Negative Psychosocial Outcomes in Male Adolescents: An Individual-Centered 1-Year Longitudinal Study

Competitive game motivation and trait aggression among Chinese adolescent players of Glory of the King: The mediating role of avatar identification and game aggression

Could Avatar Therapy Enhance Mental Health in Chronic Patients? A Systematic Review

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