Augmentation and displacement effects of multiplayer social network games: Examining the roles of social interactions and co-players' identities. (June 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Augmentation and displacement effects of multiplayer social network games: Examining the roles of social interactions and co-players' identities. (June 2021)
- Main Title:
- Augmentation and displacement effects of multiplayer social network games: Examining the roles of social interactions and co-players' identities
- Authors:
- Qin, Yuren
Cho, Hichang
Zhang, Lianshan - Abstract:
- Highlights: Players engaged in different interaction modes in multiplayer social network games. The effects of gameplay on loneliness are mediated by different interaction modes. Co-players' identity (friend vs. guild members) matters in the mediation effects. The augmentation and displacement effects possibly coincide. Abstract: The academic debate on whether gameplay has a positive or negative effect on players' psychosocial well-being has yet to cease. To resolve this debate, this study focuses on multiplayer social network games (MSNGs), the affordances of which may lead to the coexistence of augmentation and displacement effects. To unpack the conditions under which gameplay has a positive or negative relationship with psychological well-being, this study distinguishes between co-player interaction modes (in-game social interactions vs. social media interactions) and between co-players' identity types (offline friends/acquaintances vs. guild members). An online survey was conducted with 300 gamers in China. The results revealed that more in-game interaction with co-players was positively associated with players' loneliness, whereas more social media interaction with co-players was negatively related to players' loneliness, regardless of the co-players' identities. However, players who played with offline friends/acquaintances did engage in more social interactions than those who played with guild members, especially social media interactions. Moreover, the effect ofHighlights: Players engaged in different interaction modes in multiplayer social network games. The effects of gameplay on loneliness are mediated by different interaction modes. Co-players' identity (friend vs. guild members) matters in the mediation effects. The augmentation and displacement effects possibly coincide. Abstract: The academic debate on whether gameplay has a positive or negative effect on players' psychosocial well-being has yet to cease. To resolve this debate, this study focuses on multiplayer social network games (MSNGs), the affordances of which may lead to the coexistence of augmentation and displacement effects. To unpack the conditions under which gameplay has a positive or negative relationship with psychological well-being, this study distinguishes between co-player interaction modes (in-game social interactions vs. social media interactions) and between co-players' identity types (offline friends/acquaintances vs. guild members). An online survey was conducted with 300 gamers in China. The results revealed that more in-game interaction with co-players was positively associated with players' loneliness, whereas more social media interaction with co-players was negatively related to players' loneliness, regardless of the co-players' identities. However, players who played with offline friends/acquaintances did engage in more social interactions than those who played with guild members, especially social media interactions. Moreover, the effect of playing with friends/acquaintances or guild members on players' loneliness was fully mediated by in-game social interactions and social media interactions. That is, the psychosocial influence of gameplay heavily depends on the exact social interactions that players are involved in rather than on general time spent in games, and the augmentation and displacement effects possibly coincide within one game. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Telematics and informatics. Volume 59(2021)
- Journal:
- Telematics and informatics
- Issue:
- Volume 59(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 59, Issue 2021 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 59
- Issue:
- 2021
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0059-2021-0000
- Page Start:
- Page End:
- Publication Date:
- 2021-06
- Subjects:
- Multiplayer social network games -- Social interactions -- Augmentation and displacement effects -- Co-player -- Loneliness
Telecommunication -- Periodicals
Computer networks -- Periodicals
Télécommunications -- Périodiques
Réseaux d'ordinateurs -- Périodiques
384 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/07365853 ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.tele.2020.101558 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0736-5853
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 8782.955000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 16026.xml