Model of online game addiction: The role of computer-mediated communication motives

Abstract

Online games are rapidly gaining popularity. Because of increased awareness that online-game addiction is a legitimate concern, understanding why and how people become addicted to online games is crucial. Our research model was empirically evaluated using survey data collected from online-game users. The partial least squares method of structural equation modeling was used to examine the research hypothesis. The findings reveal that mediated motives (entertainment, passing time, and escape) and interpersonal motives (social interaction and coplaying) significantly influence flow experiences, which in turn influence addiction. In addition, this study implies that interpersonal motives influence the flow of online-game players more than mediated motives do. Previous studies have mainly focused on the negative effects of addiction, whereas this paper proposes that online-game addiction is crucial for flow. The findings of this study elucidate some crucial determinants of player addiction that have not been addressed by previous research. The behavior of online-game players has become a critical concern for online-game designers and providers. Therefore, researchers increasingly believe that understanding online-game player behavior is crucial to the success of online-game providers. This study suggests that online-game designers and providers must determine strategies for building interactive experiences that engage players and enhance interpersonal interactivity. This is a pilot study to empirically examine the role of flow experiences as well as its antecedents in online games by conceptualizing computer-mediated communication motives. Exploring the antecedents and consequences of flow for online-game addiction is a new research area of online-game research.