TY - JOUR
T1 - May the passion be with you
T2 - The addictive potential of collectible card games, miniatures, and dice of the Star Wars universe
AU - Calvo, Fran
AU - Carbonell, Xavier
AU - Oberst, Ursula
AU - Fuster, Héctor
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding sources: This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, MINECO) with a grant for Research and Development (reference: FEM 2016-76136-R). No competing financial interests exist.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s).
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Background and aims: In recent years, we have witnessed a growing research interest in behavioral addictions and in pleasurable behaviors that generate a certain discomfort in the people who engage in them. The objective of this study was to assess if users of collectible card games, miniatures, and dice from the Star Wars Universe Games (SWUG) may also present criteria of addiction and if the presence of these criteria is related to demographic variables, game-playing habits, and other variables. Methods: SWUG players were contacted through specialized gaming chats, and 218 of them completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short Form (IGDS-SF9), a scale that assesses motivation to engage in the game (Massively Multiplayer Online Motivations Scale), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale, and a question for the self-assessment of addiction. Results: Significant predictors of addictive symptoms were the motivation to seek dissociation and (negatively) self-esteem. Users more significantly dedicate indirect hours to the game (thinking about the game, preparing material, etc.) than to actually playing. No participant could be considered pathologically addicted, as no one scored above the tentative cut-off point of the IGDS-SF9. Discussion and conclusions: Despite the fact that many players considered themselves "addicted" and some presented various economic and family problems related to their activity, it was found that playing these games could not be equated to true addictive behavior, since no player had scores above the cut-off point. This finding contributes to current discussions about the tendency to overestimate excessive pleasurable behaviors.
AB - Background and aims: In recent years, we have witnessed a growing research interest in behavioral addictions and in pleasurable behaviors that generate a certain discomfort in the people who engage in them. The objective of this study was to assess if users of collectible card games, miniatures, and dice from the Star Wars Universe Games (SWUG) may also present criteria of addiction and if the presence of these criteria is related to demographic variables, game-playing habits, and other variables. Methods: SWUG players were contacted through specialized gaming chats, and 218 of them completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short Form (IGDS-SF9), a scale that assesses motivation to engage in the game (Massively Multiplayer Online Motivations Scale), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale, and a question for the self-assessment of addiction. Results: Significant predictors of addictive symptoms were the motivation to seek dissociation and (negatively) self-esteem. Users more significantly dedicate indirect hours to the game (thinking about the game, preparing material, etc.) than to actually playing. No participant could be considered pathologically addicted, as no one scored above the tentative cut-off point of the IGDS-SF9. Discussion and conclusions: Despite the fact that many players considered themselves "addicted" and some presented various economic and family problems related to their activity, it was found that playing these games could not be equated to true addictive behavior, since no player had scores above the cut-off point. This finding contributes to current discussions about the tendency to overestimate excessive pleasurable behaviors.
KW - Internet gaming disorder
KW - analogical games
KW - behavioral addictions
KW - gaming
KW - motivations to game-playing
KW - self-esteem
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054073345&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1556/2006.7.2018.73
DO - 10.1556/2006.7.2018.73
M3 - Article
C2 - 30203694
AN - SCOPUS:85054073345
SN - 2062-5871
VL - 7
SP - 727
EP - 736
JO - Journal of Behavioral Addictions
JF - Journal of Behavioral Addictions
IS - 3
ER -