Comparing video game engagement measures as related to individual and relational well-being in a community sample of adult gamers

Abstract

The relationships between video games and well-being have been the subject of empirical investigation for decades. However, this research has largely focused on younger samples, adverse outcomes, and limited measures of game engagement. The current study compared multiple game engagement measures (i.e., time spent playing, social context of play, content rating of favorite video game, and motivations for play) and their associations with psychosocial well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms, stress, loneliness, relationship satisfaction, and social support) in a community sample of 223 adult gamers. When examined separately, time spent playing, playing games for diversion, and more solo play were related to poorer individual well-being. When examining game engagement measures simultaneously, only diversion and fantasy motivations were related to poorer well-being, while more social play was related to lower loneliness. This suggests that gaming motivations and social context are more salient predictors of adult well-being than the often-examined measures of time spent playing or video game content. The results align with the Basic Psychological Needs theoretical approach to gaming, which states that adults play games to feel competent, autonomous, and socially related, and indicate that research and interventions may better serve adult gamers by focusing on motivations for play and social context.