Openness to Experience and Player Satisfaction in a Simulation Game

Abstract

Background Openness to experience (OTE) is one of the Big Five traits that describe the personality of the individual. Player satisfaction (Satisfaction) is composed of the factors of excitement, challenge, learning experience, team victory and self-discovery in a simulation game. OTE and Satisfaction appear to have a symbiotic relationship that feeds on their characteristics and outcomes. This study is undertaken to understand the relationship between OTE and Satisfaction in a simulation game. Objectives of the Study The objectives are to develop a scale of OTE in the context of a simulation game, to identify the factors of OTE and to study the interactive effects of OTE and Satisfaction and their factors. Methods An instrument of 40 statements was administered to 190 post-graduate management students at the end of a brand-related simulation game. It had 12 statements that represented OTE and 28 statements of the Satisfaction scale. The data was purified and processed for factor analysis; the variables and their factors were subjected to correlation and regression. Results Two OTE factors, each of eigenvalue greater than one, were extracted and named search for novelty and passion to know. Discussion The conclusions of this study may be generalisable only to sample profiles that are most similar to the study sample, but not to other contexts due to the ambiguous effect of personality, contexts and cultures on the study variables. The strong positive correlations between OTE, Satisfaction and their factors show their bases in a common platform, i.e. the experience of the simulation game. The search for novelty predicts Satisfaction more powerfully than OTE predicts Satisfaction. Self-discovery, learning experience and excitement affect OTE positively and more powerfully than challenge, team victory or Satisfaction. Further studies of passion, intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy may enhance our understanding of their impact on Satisfaction.