Massively multiplayer online games (MMOG’s) are a specific form of online computer games that allow for millions of people to simultaneously play online at any time. This form of online gaming has become a huge phenomenon worldwide both as a popular past time and a business endeavour for many individuals. There are more than 16 million people worldwide who subscribe to fantasy role-playing online games. Although such games can provide entertainment for many people, they can also lead to problematic Internet use (PIU). PIU has also been referred to as Internet addiction, and can cause significant problems in an individual’s functioning. The study aimed to enhance a greater understanding of the phenomenon of male adults’ experiences PIU with MMOG’s. More specifically the study aims to identify if PIU with MMOG’s can be considered a form of Internet addiction within South Africa. Furthermore, assisting in the further development of online addiction diagnosis and treatment strategies. The study utilised an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA) and participants were purposively sampled. The data was collected using semi-structured individual interviews. Furthermore, Braun and Clarks thematic analysis was used during data analysis while incorporating the four major processes in phenomenological research, namely 1) epoche, 2) phenomenological reduction, 3) imaginative variation and, 4) synthesis. Themes that emerged from the analysis of the participants’ experiences included, initial description of use, motives for continued use of MMOG’s, consequences of PIU with MMOG’s, perceptions of PIU with MMOG’s, and treatment considerations. This study provided a thick description of South African and international literature and combines the literature with the themes that emerged from the participants experiences in order to produce discussions based on the findings of this qualitative study. Conclusions, recommendations, and limitations of this study informed future research on cyber citizenship by providing a detailed understanding of the context of South African male adults’ experiences of PIU with MMOG’s.

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[Truncated abstract] Online games are an exciting new trend in the consumption of entertainment and provide the opportunity to examine selected antecedents of online game-playing based on studying the cognitive, experiential and habitual factors. This study was divided into two parts. The first part analysed the structural relations among research variables that might explain online game-playing using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques. These analyses were conducted on a final sample of 218 online gamers. Specific issues examined were: If the variables of Perceived Game Performance, Satisfaction, Hedonic Responses, Flow and Habit Strength influence the Intention to Replay an online game. The importance of factors such as Hedonic Responses and Flow on Satisfaction in online game play. In addition to the SEM, analyses of the participants? reported past playing behaviour were conducted to test whether past game play was simply a matter of random frequency of past behaviour, or followed the specific pattern of the Negative Binomial Distribution (NBD). … The playing-time distribution was not significantly different to the Gamma distribution, in which the largest number of gamers plays for a short time (light gamers) and only a few gamers account for a large proportion of playing time (heavy gamers). Therefore, the reported time play followed a simple and predictable NBD pattern (Chisquare=. 390; p>.05). This study contributes to knowledge in the immediate field of online games and to the wider body of literature on consumer research. The findings demonstrate that gamers tend to act habitually in their playing behaviour. These findings support the argument that past behaviour (habit) is a better explanation of future behaviour than possible cognitive and affective explanations, especially for the apparent routinesed behaviour pattern on online games. The pattern of online game-playing is consistent with the finding of the NBD pattern in television viewing, in which the generalisability of the NBD model has been found in stable environments of repetitive behaviour. This supports the application of the NBD to areas beyond those of patterns in gambling and the purchase of consumer items. The findings have implications both for managerial and public policy decision-making.

published_or_final_version / Sports Science / Master / Master of Science in Sports Science

This study examined the associations between video gaming, sleep, and neuropsychological functioning. A total of 143 mother-children dyads were included in the study. The children’s neurocognitive functions were measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children– Fourth Edition (Hong Kong), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), and the Grooved Pegboard Test. Sleep quality was measured by the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Problematic behaviors were measured using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). It was found that (1) more video gaming was associated with poorer subjective sleep quality and shorter total bed time, but not any actual reported sleep time or any domains of problematic sleep in children, (2) playing video games before bed was not associated with more sleep problems in children, (3) children with more sleep problems were perceived to have more internalizing and externalizing behaviors, (4) sleep problem was negatively associated with tests of perceptual reasoning abilities, and had a moderating effect on the relationship between video-gaming and a hand-eye coordination task. Results implied video gaming might not be predominantly bad for children, and the use of it as a training tool must target specific cognitive skills in order to be effective. Children’s sleep problems should be part of a clinical computation and adequately addressed. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The relationships between violent content and aggression have not been fully understood and explained in video game research literature. This study sought to determine if video game players" flow experience--a psychological absorption—explains the aggression that can follow video game playing. Employing a survey, this project sought to determine if relationships existed among degrees of violence portrayed in video games, degrees of flow experience, and subsequent aggressive attitudes after gaming. In this study, it was determined that a player's flow experience is more strongly correlated with aggression than is the violent content of video games. Moreover, contradicting the common belief that the video game companies make more profit by increasing the quantity of violent content, there is actually no significant relationship between violence and purchase of video games. However, along the same lines of Hoffman and Novak (1977), this study discovered an increase in purchasing intent related to flow experiences in video games. / Department of Telecommunications

This thesis identifies and explores the types of communication modes that exist in video games. Different types of communication are identified and discussed based on Frye's audience centered theory of modes. The inferior communication mode, the mimetic communication mode, the leader-centered communication mode, the romantic communication mode, and the mythical communication mode are all explained. A convenience sample of six video game players were interviewed about video games. An analysis of their self-identification statements revealed that players seek a high level of romantic communication when playing video games. The romantic communication mode makes the video game world an idealized place where the players are able to manipulate their circumstances or show more intelligence than the user in reality. Uses of the communication modes are also explained. / Department of Telecommunications

Bibliography: p. 273-300. / xiii, 320 p. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 2000?

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 M36 / Master of Science

本論文重新探討自我調節的情緒管理(self regulation of emotion regulation)並提出個人能夠因應自己的實際情緒 (actual affect) 而把其反饋和調節至接近理想的情緒 (ideal affect)上。 / 為了解自我調節的情緒管理所涉及的過程以及其影響，我隨機安排94位香港的女大學生處於緊張(高激發負面/ high arousal negative)或者悶氣(低激發負面/low arousal negative)的情景當中，隨後邀請她們選擇高激發正面(high arousal positive) 或者低激發正面(low arousal positive)的產品，以及試玩她們所選擇的電子遊戲來調節管理之前受影響的情緒。結果顯示：參加者比較偏向選擇低激發正面的產品。同時，參加者完成任何一種電子遊戲也降低了之前所受的負面情緒。曾處於緊張情景的參加者在玩後增加冷靜；而曾處於悶氣情景的參加者在玩後則減少冷靜。是次研究的結果支持上面提出的說法，即是：當人自我調節和管理情緒時，人能夠縮短實際情緒和理想情緒之間的差距從而管理負面的情緒。 / This study reviewed the literature in self regulation of emotion and suggested that individuals would modulate negative actual affect to turn it into positive ideal affect. To examine emotion regulatory mechanisms and outcomes, 94 Hong Kong female Chinese undergraduates were randomly assigned to either nervousness (high arousal negative) or boredom (low arousal negative) conditions. Next, they selected either high arousal positive (HAP) or low arousal positive (LAP) products in decision making tasks. Based on their selection, they then played HAP or LAP video game to perform emotion regulatory tasks. Although participants chose LAP over HAP products, participants decreased induced negative affect after playing the selected video game. Also, participants from the nervousness condition increased low arousal positive affect in calmness and those from boredom condition decreased it. Current findings suggested that individuals minimized the discrepancy between actual and ideal affect to regulate negative emotions. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Ho, Yuen Wan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-41). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Abstract (English) --- p.ii / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.vi / Chapter Chapter 1 --- : Introduction --- p.1 / Emotion Regulation: A Consensual Process Model --- p.1 / Emotion in Self Regulation and Self Regulation of Emotion --- p.3 / Emotion Regulation: Processes of Interaction between Actual and Ideal Affect --- p.4 / My Present Study --- p.9 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- : Method --- p.13 / Participants --- p.13 / Materials --- p.13 / Affect Induction Tasks --- p.13 / Product Decision Making Tasks --- p.14 / Product Testing Tasks --- p.15 / Measures and Procedures --- p.16 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- : Results --- p.22 / Actual and Ideal Affect before affect induction tasks --- p.22 / Manipulation of Nervousness and Boredom --- p.22 / Individual Product and Activity Preferences in Product Decision Making Tasks --- p.25 / Actual Affect in and after Product Testing Tasks --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- : Discussion --- p.31 / References --- p.37 / Appendix --- p.42 / Chapter I --- Consumer Preferences Questionnaire --- p.42 / Chapter II --- Game Evaluation Questionnaire --- p.43 / Chapter III --- Suspicion Questionnaire --- p.44