No Item is an Island Entire of Itself: An Analysis of Construct Validity of Player Motivation Questionnaires

Abstract

[Preprint Version] The player experience literature has many questionnaires to identify individual differences between digital game players. However, each is typically developed without reference to explicit conceptual underpinnings and its conceptual relationship to other questionnaires. This paper reports on a study where 11 such questionnaires were compiled into one 180-item survey. The analysis of responses (N = 1978) assesses individual questionnaires and compares across questionnaires through six analyses, including reliability analysis and both confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. These showed only moderate support for the original questionnaire structures, and seemingly related subscales tended to measure unrelated concepts. An EFA of all 46 original subscales indicated a 9-factor solution, and a 180-item EFA a 19-factor solution, suggesting considerable conceptual confusion. Overall, there are concerning shortcomings in these questionnaires as instruments for measuring player differences. A more robust theoretical basis is needed to address the value of such questionnaires in advancing player experience research.