Gaming addiction, motivation, and identity: investigating the effects of competitive play in a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game.

Walker, Amy (2017) Gaming addiction, motivation, and identity: investigating the effects of competitive play in a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game. Manchester Metropolitan University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of competitive play in a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) on gaming addiction, gaming motivation, and gamer identity. A quasi-experimental design was utilised to assess these effects. The participants (N=121) were from the United Kingdom and were recruited through opportunity and snowball sampling. They were aged between 18 and 34 and played the MOBA League of Legends. Participants had to indicate whether they played the game casually or competitively, and completed a questionnaire which included the Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS), the Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS), and the Group Identification Measure (GIM). Responses were recorded and the data was analysed using SPSS. One-way between-subjects ANOVAs were conducted to test the effects of type of play on gaming addiction and gaming motivation, and a non-parametric equivalent, a Kruskal-Wallis test, was conducted to test the effects on gamer identity. The analysis indicated there were no significant effects of type of play on any of the variables, which is inconsistent with existing literature. The reasons for this are explored and the implications are discussed. Future research could investigate the effects of time spent playing League of Legends on gaming addiction, gaming motivation, and gamer identity, as no inquiry was made in the current study and this may be an influencing factor. Additional suggestions for further research are given