The Connection Between Introversion/Extraversion and Social Capital Outcomes of Playing World of Warcraft

Translating the user-avatar bond into depression risk: A preliminary machine learning study

Research has shown a link between depression risk and how gamers form relationships with their in-game figure of representation, called avatar. This is reinforced by literature supporting that a gamer's connection to their avatar may provide broader insight into their mental health. Therefore, it has been argued that if properly examined, the bond between a person and their avatar may reveal information about their current or potential struggles with depression offline. To examine whether the connection with an individuals' avatars may reveal their risk for depression, longitudinal data from 565 adults/adolescents (Mage = 29.3 years, SD = 10.6) were evaluated twice (six months apart). Participants completed the User-Avatar-Bond [UAB] scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale to measure avatar bond and depression risk. A series of tuned and untuned artificial intelligence [AI] classifiers analyzed their responses concurrently and prospectively. This allowed the examination of whether user-avatar bond can provide cross-sectional and predictive information about depression risk. Findings revealed that AI models can learn to accurately and automatically identify depression risk cases, based on gamers' reported UAB, age, and length of gaming involvement, both at present and six months later. In particular, random forests outperformed all other AIs, while avatar immersion was shown to be the strongest training predictor. Study outcomes demonstrate that UAB can be translated into accurate, concurrent, and future, depression risk predictions via trained AI classifiers. Assessment, prevention, and practice implications are discussed in the light of these results.

A large number of online friends and a high frequency of social interaction compensate for each Other's shortage in regard to perceived social support

The present study explored the role of the number of online friends, the frequency of social interaction and their interaction in perceived social support on WeChat, a widely used social network service, among Chinese undergraduates. A total of 1396 Chinese undergraduates completed questionnaires regarding their number of friends, frequency of social interaction and perceived social support on WeChat. The results indicated that the undergraduates' number of friends was positively related to their perceived social support, but this link was significantly stronger for undergraduates with a low frequency of social interaction than for their counterparts. Similarly, a high frequency of social interaction was found to be positively associated with perceived social support, but this relationship was much stronger for undergraduates with a smaller number of friends than for their counterparts. However, undergraduates with both a large number of friends and a high frequency of social interaction did not acquire more social support than those with only one of the two online advantages. These findings suggest that the interaction between the two online factors on perceived social support should follow a compensatory pattern rather than an additive one. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

How different online self-presentations relate to life satisfaction differently in college students: The role of positive online feedback and self-esteem

In the Internet age, some online factors, such as online self-presentation, related to life satisfaction have received much attention. However, it is unclear whether and how different strategies of online self-presentation are linked to an individual's life satisfaction differently. Accordingly, the present study examined the possible different relationships between different online self-presentations and life satisfaction with a sample of 460 Chinese college students. Using a series of questionnaires, a moderated mediation model was built in which positive online feedback was a mediator and self-esteem was a moderator. The results indicated that: (1) positive self-presentation was negatively associated with college students' life satisfaction, whereas honest self-presentation was positively related to it; (2) positive online feedback was a significant mediator in such relationships; (3) the mediation process was moderated by self-esteem. Specifically, positive self-presentation was negatively related to positive online feedback only for high self-esteem college students, but negatively associated with life satisfaction only for low self-esteem ones. By contrast, honest self-presentation was positively associated with positive online feedback despite the level of self-esteem, but positively linked with life satisfaction only for those with low self-esteem. The findings suggest that honest rather than positive online self-presentation should be conducive to college students' life satisfaction, particularly for those with low self-esteem. The implications were discussed.

Rich Get Richer: Extraversion Statistically Predicts Reduced Internet Addiction through Less Online Anonymity Preference and Extraversion Compensation

Internet addiction may arise from multiple factors and personality tendencies have been previously implicated. Prior studies have found that extraversion may be a protective factor mitigating against internet addiction, yielding a "rich-get-richer" effect. However, few studies have explored how extraversion may influence internet addiction from the perspective of online-offline integration. Drawing on a sample of 428 college students, the current study examined a serial mediation model exploring the underlying mechanisms of how extraversion may statistically predict internet addiction through online-offline integration and antecedent factors. The serial mediation model analyses indicated that extraverted internet users exhibited a weaker preference for online anonymity and less online extraversion compensation, thus formulating a higher level of online-offline integration than introverted individuals, which, in turn, appeared to reduce the risk of internet addiction. In contrast, with regard to specific components of online-offline integration, introverted internet users preferred online anonymity, which reduced their relationship integration and increased their likelihood of internet addiction; similarly, the introverted individuals were also more likely to exhibit an extraversion compensation effect. That is, they were more extraverted on the internet than in general; hence, they had a lower level of self-identity integration, resulting in a greater likelihood of experiencing internet addiction. These results highlight the importance of online-offline integration that may account for personality variations in social and psychological outcomes related to internet use, and suggest a role for online anonymity preference and extraversion compensation in influencing specific components of integration.

Can extroversion congruence promote online interaction? Evidence from college first-year students

Building a new social network (SNS) with connections is especially important for first-year students to deal with the transition to college. The goal of the current study was to investigate the link between congruence in extroversion and the interaction frequency within cross-sex classmate dyads on SNS. Based on a cross-sectional study among 371 cross-sex first-year students dyads (M_age  = 18; SD = 2.08) using polynomial regression with response surface analysis, we found that: (i) dyads with congruent levels of extroversion indeed interacted more frequently online than dyads with incongruent levels of extroversion; (ii) extroverted dyads interacted more frequently online than introverted dyads; and (iii) dyads with an increased level of incongruence on extroversion had a decreased frequency of online interaction. The sex-segregated social network might be magnified by the difference in extroversion within cross-sex dyads. The discussion focused on potential explanations from the reward of interaction model and the expectations for cross-sex friendship.

Hostility Is Associated with Self-Reported Cognitive and Social Benefits Across Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Player Roles

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) can sometimes be associated with patterns of play that are harmful to health and well-being. Hazardous MMORPG play has been linked to hostility (toward other people). However, little is known about how hostility, as a risk factor, relates to players' choices within games, or players' experiences of the positive aspects of MMORPGs. In this study, we surveyed 5,847 players of Jagex's RuneScape to examine how trait hostility relates to player roles that prioritize skill acquisition/improvement (Skillers), combat (Killers), or narrative challenges (Questers). Killers reported modestly higher levels of trait hostility than Skillers and Questers. The most hostile players reported the strongest importance of in-game relative to offline achievements, possibly indicating hazardous involvement. Critically, hostile players also report the strongest cognitive and social benefits. These include (i) skills acquired through MMORPGs that help players to achieve things in their offline lives and (ii) online relationships that benefit offline relationships. These findings offer a new perspective on the way that a previously reported risk factor for harmful MMORPG play relates to player engagement, possibly by offering a helpful space for hostile individuals to develop problem solving and social skills. This suggests that some individuals who might be vulnerable to developing harmful patterns of MMORPG play may simultaneously experience greater tangible benefits.

Constancy (the New Media “C”) and Future Generations

In the past, researchers would consider media’s impact on youth in terms of three “Cs”: consumption, content, and context. This article introduces a new construct—constancy—which supplants the previous terms. Constancy refers to the ubiquitous and continuous state of connected screens in the lives of children and adolescents. Constancy characterizes media content and use, which can be proactive, incidental, or contextual, exerting positive or negative effects on different users. Constancy can influence child development, as persistent access to smartphones and reception of messages will affect future generations’ cognition and education, social interactions, emotions, and health. It will be important to address the developmental needs of the child or adolescent and not the smartphone in his or her pocket. Constancy requires pragmatic and innovative methodologies to understand the new circumstances around children, adolescents, and media. The landscape has changed and so must our approach to research and investigation of media effects.

Social genomics of healthy and disordered internet gaming

OBJECTIVES

To combine social genomics with cultural approaches to expand understandings of the somatic health dynamics of online gaming, including in the controversial nosological construct of internet gaming disorder (IGD).

METHODS

In blood samples from 56 U.S. gamers, we examined expression of the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), a leukocyte gene expression profile activated by chronic stress. We compared positively engaged and problem gamers, as identified by an ethnographically developed measure, the Positive and Negative Gaming Experiences Scale (PNGE-42), and also by a clinically derived IGD scale (IGDS-SF9).

RESULTS

CTRA profiles showed a clear relationship with PNGE-42, with a substantial linkage to offline social support, but were not meaningfully associated with disordered play as measured by IGDS-SF9.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study advances understanding of the psychobiology of play, demonstrating via novel transcriptomic methods the association of negatively experienced internet play with biological measures of chronic threat, uncertainty, and distress. Our findings are consistent with the view that problematic patterns of online gaming are a proxy for broader patterns of biopsychosocial stress and distress such as loneliness, rather than a psychiatric disorder sui generis, which might exist apart from gamers' other life problems. By confirming the biological correlates of certain patterns of internet gaming, culturally-sensitive genomics approaches such as this can inform both evolutionary theorizing regarding the nature of play, as well as current psychiatric debates about the appropriateness of modeling distressful gaming on substance addiction and problem gambling.

Social Capital Accumulation in Location-Based Mobile Game Playing: A Multiple-Process Approach

In the summer of 2016, the widespread popularization of the game Pokémon Go brought the public's attention to the possible socialization benefits associated with location-based mobile games (LBMGs), yet no studies to date have investigated this issue. LBMGs deserve greater research attention because this type of game provides a unique gaming experience that encourages players to leave their homes and navigate around their neighborhood. This distinctive feature may promote more face-to-face interactions among LBMG players. Grounded in social capital theories, the present study compared the levels of both bridging and bonding social capital between LBMG and non-LBMG players. More important, we formulated a multiple-process model to explain the hypothesized psychological mechanisms underlying social capital accumulation among LBMG players. Participants were 349 U.S. participants (57 percent men; M_age = 32.40, SD_age = 7.92, age range = 19-66). Results supported the proposed model by revealing that face-to-face interaction was crucial to the accrual of both bridging and bonding social capital among LBMG players, through enhancing their levels of communication frequency and self-disclosure. The present findings have implications for the utilization of LBMG as a potential tool to promote face-to-face interactions and accumulate social capital.

How Is Frustration Related to Online Gamer Loyalty? A Synthesis of Multiple Theories

Online games can frustrate their gamers, but little was known about how such frustration impacts gamer loyalty. Because novice and experienced gamers may respond differently to frustration, this study investigates how gamers' frustration influences their loyalty and how this influence may differ between novice and experienced gamers. Because of the complexity of this issue, multiple theories were synthesized to develop the theoretical model. This study collected responses from 558 online gamers. Findings indicate that frustration is positively related to novice gamers' participation in task teams, and subsequently their loyalty. However, frustration is negatively related to the self-efficacy of experienced gamers and to their loyalty.