TY - JOUR
T1 - How Gaming May Become a Problem
T2 - A Qualitative Analysis of the Role of Gaming Related Experiences and Cognitions in the Development of Problematic Game Behavior
AU - Haagsma, Maria C.
AU - Pieterse, Marcel E.
AU - Peters, Oscar
AU - King, Daniel L.
PY - 2013/8
Y1 - 2013/8
N2 - This study focuses on the role of gaming expectancies, motives and the experiences of gamers in the development of video game behavior, from normal to problematic behavior. Qualitative interviews were conducted among 21 male gamers between 17 and 28 years of age, to get more of an insight into their excessive gaming patterns. Participants were recruited in several ways such as by distributing flyers and posting messages on gaming websites. Participants were included if they were between 14 and 26 years of age and if they had experienced game related behavior problems at the time of the study or in the past. Two processes emerged from the results that seem to contribute to the transition to an excessive gaming pattern. First, the duration of each single game session may become longer. Second, a game session may be started up more and more frequently. Gamers have several motives and expectancies that play a role in this process of increasing gaming time. Is seems that a combination of these gaming motives can lead to an increase in gaming time. Especially online role playing games were related to excessive gaming and the social mechanisms in these games seem to work as an intensifier for other motives.
AB - This study focuses on the role of gaming expectancies, motives and the experiences of gamers in the development of video game behavior, from normal to problematic behavior. Qualitative interviews were conducted among 21 male gamers between 17 and 28 years of age, to get more of an insight into their excessive gaming patterns. Participants were recruited in several ways such as by distributing flyers and posting messages on gaming websites. Participants were included if they were between 14 and 26 years of age and if they had experienced game related behavior problems at the time of the study or in the past. Two processes emerged from the results that seem to contribute to the transition to an excessive gaming pattern. First, the duration of each single game session may become longer. Second, a game session may be started up more and more frequently. Gamers have several motives and expectancies that play a role in this process of increasing gaming time. Is seems that a combination of these gaming motives can lead to an increase in gaming time. Especially online role playing games were related to excessive gaming and the social mechanisms in these games seem to work as an intensifier for other motives.
KW - Excessive gaming
KW - Gaming motives
KW - Problematic game behavior
KW - Qualitative study
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892985898&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11469-013-9427-4
DO - 10.1007/s11469-013-9427-4
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84892985898
SN - 1557-1874
VL - 11
SP - 441
EP - 452
JO - International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
JF - International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
IS - 4
ER -