Using Structural Equation Modeling to Validate Online Game Players' Motivations Relative to Self-Concept and Life Adaptation

Abstract

This study aimed to validate a systematic instrument to measure online players' motivations for playing online games (MPOG) and examine how the interplay of differential motivations impacts young gamers' self-concept and life adaptation. Confirmatory factor analysis determined that a hierarchical model with a two-factor structure of Social-engaging and Social-disengaging MPOG has better factorial validity than one-factor and two-factor models. The study found that individuals who play online games with Social-engaging MPOG are more likely to have a healthy self-concept and life adaptation, whereas players who have Social-disengaging MPOG have poorer self-concepts and experience a significant, negative, and indirect effect on life adaptation through their self-concept.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Akaike

(1987). Factor analysis and AIC. Psychometrika, 52, 317–332.

Bandura

(1977). Self efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 181–215.

Bartle

(1996). Hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades: Players who suit MUDs. Journal of Virtual Environments. Retrieved September 13, 2006 from www.brandeis.edu/pubs/jove/HTML/v1/bartle.html

Bonanno

Konners

P. A. M.

(2005). Gender differences and styles in the use of digital games. Educational Psychology, 25(1), 13–41.

Bonk

C. J.

Dennen

V. P.

(2005). Massive multiplayer online gaming: A research framework for military training and education (Technical Report 2005-01). Washington, DC: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

Chen

C-F.

(2008). Using statistical methods to study the motives of participating online games in higher grade elementary school students. Unpublished master's thesis, National Hsinchu University of Education, Taiwan.

Chen

Y. C.

Chen

P. S.

Hwang

J. J.

Korba

Song

Yee

(2005). An analysis of online gaming crime characteristics. Internet Research, 15(3), 246–261.

Chiu

Lee

Huang

(2004). Video game addiction in children and teenagers in Taiwan. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(5), 571–581.

Chuang

J. C.

(2002). The study of the relationship on junior high school students' self-concept, life adjustment and self-damage. Unpublished master's thesis, Nanhua University, Chiayi, Taiwan.

10.

Cudeck

Browne

M. W.

(1983). Cross validation of covariance structures. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 18(4), 147–167.

11.

deCharms

(1968). Personal causation: The internal affective determinants of behavior. New York, NY: Academic Press.

12.

Deci

E. L.

Vallerand

R. J.

Pelletier

L. G.

Ryan

R. M.

(1991). Motivation and education: The self-determination perspective. Educational Psychologists, 26(3&4), 325–346.

13.

Draenos

(2000). Bidding for auction success. Upside, 12(5), 126–133.

14.

Fuster

Carbonell

Chamarro

Oberst

(2013). Interaction with the game and motivation among players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 16(43), 1–8. doi: 10.1017/sjp.2013.54

15.

Gefen

Straub

D. W.

Boudreau

M. A.

(2000). Structural equation modeling and regression: Guidelines for research practice. Communications of AIS, 4(7), 1–80.

16.

Giannakos

M. N.

(2013). Enjoy and learn with educational games: Examining factors affecting learning performance. Computers & Education, 68, 429–439.

17.

Giannakos

M. N.

Chorianopoulos

Jaccheri

Chrisochoides

(2012). This game is girly! perceived enjoyment and student acceptance of edutainment. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 7516, 89–98. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on e-learning and Games. Springer.

18.

Greenberg

B. S.

Sherry

Lachlan

Lucas

Holmstrom

(2010). Orientations to video games among gender and age groups. Simulation & Gaming, 41(2), 238–259.

19.

Hoffman

Nadelson

(2009). Motivational engagement and video gaming: A mixed methods study. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(3), 245–270.

20.

L. T.

Bentler

P. M.

(1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1–55.

21.

Joreskog

K. G.

Sorbom

(2001). LISREL 8: User's reference guide. Chicago, IL: Scientific Software International.

22.

Klimmt

Hartmann

(2006). Effectance, self-efficacy, and the motivation to play video games. In Vorderer

Bryant

(Eds.), Playing video games: Motives, responses and consequences (pp. 133–146). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

23.

Kline

R. B.

(2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford.

24.

B. D.

Wiemer-Hastings

(2005). Addiction to the internet and online gaming. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 8(2), 110–113.

25.

Nunnally

(1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

26.

Olson

C. K.

(2010). Children's motivations for video game play in the context of normal development. Review of General Psychology, 14(2), 180–187.

27.

Przybylski

A. K.

Rigby

C. S.

Ryan

R. M.

(2010). A motivational model of videogame engagement. Review of General Psychology, 14, 154–166.

28.

Przybylski

A. K.

Ryan

R. M.

Rigby

C. S.

(2009). The motivating role of violence in video games. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 243–259.

29.

Rheingold

(1993). The virtual community: Homesteading on the electronic frontier. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

30.

Schreiber

J. B.

Nora

Stage

F. K.

Barlow

E. A.

King

(2006). Reporting structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis results: A review. The Journal of Educational Research, 99(6), 323–338.

31.

Sponcil

Gitimu

(2012). Use of social media by college students: Relationship to communication and self-concept. Journal of Technology Research, 4, 16–28.

32.

Tabachnick

B. G.

Fidell

L. S.

(1989). Using multivariate statistics (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harper & Row.

33.

Tolman

E. C.

(1959). Principles of purposive behavior. In Koch

(Ed.), Psychology: A study of science (Vol. 2, pp. 92–157). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

34.

Vallerand

R. J.

(2008). On the psychology of passion: In search of what makes people's lives most worth living. Canadian Psychology, 49, 1–13.

35.

Vorderer

Bryant

Pieper

K. M.

Weber

(2006). Playing video game as entertainment. In Vorderer

Bryant

(Eds.), Playing video games—Motives, responses, and consequences (pp. 1–8). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

36.

Williams

R. B.

Clippingerb

C. A.

(2002). Aggression, competition and computer games: Computer and human opponents. Computers in Human Behavior, 18(5), 495–506.

37.

Yang

S. C.

Huang

K. L.

(2011). Analyses of junior high school students' online gaming experience and its relationship with self-concept, life adaptation and well-being. Journal of Educational Media & Library Sciences, 48(3), 407–442.

38.

Yee

(2006). Motivations for play in online games. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9(6), 772–775.