Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberpspace (Jul 2018)
The relationship between online gaming motivation, self-concept clarity and tendency toward problematic gaming
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between online gaming motivation, self-concept clarity and problematic online gaming. More specifically, the study investigated the mediating role of gaming motives between self-concept clarity and problematic online gaming. Data from 509 young adult (M = 23.14, SD = 4.66) video game players from Croatia were analyzed. Problematic online gaming was positively correlated with social, competition, coping, fantasy and escape motives for playing online video games, and negatively with self-concept clarity. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that escape motives and self-concept clarity were significant predictors of problematic online gaming after controlling for age and weekly gaming time. The results of the mediation model showed that self-concept clarity was both directly and indirectly (via escape motive) associated with problematic online gaming. The discussion addresses the issue of escapism in relation to self-concept clarity and as a factor in predicting problematic online gaming.
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