Psychometric Assessment of the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire Among Iranian Gamers

Classifying problematic gaming using a latent profile approach based on personality traits in Chinese young adolescent

BACKGROUND

Internet gaming has gained widespread popularity in China, yet the classification of problematic gaming subtypes based on personality traits remains limited. This study aimed to employ latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct groups of online gamers and compare key variables across these groups.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted within 5593 internet gaming users, including a demographic questionnaire, queries on internet gaming usage, the Video Gaming Dependency Scale, and the Chinese Big Five Inventory-brief version. LPA was applied to identify distinct user groups, followed by an examination of associations between profile membership and auxiliary variables.

RESULTS

LPA identified three gamer categories for problematic gaming: "high-risk" (64.78%), "medium-risk" (3.22%), and "low-risk" (32%). High-risk gamers allocated more time and financial resources to gaming for escapism and leisure purposes. The medium-risk group sought enjoyable experiences, exhibiting traits that were intermediate between the high- and low-risk groups. High-risk gamers demonstrated elevated levels of neuroticism, accompanied by lower scores in other Big Five personality traits. In contrast, medium-risk gamers scored low across all Big Five dimensions, while low-risk gamers achieved higher scores in all traits except neuroticism. Notably, the low-risk group reported forming the fewest new online friendships, despite sharing similar social motivations with the other groups.

CONCLUSION

Traits such as low neuroticism and high conscientiousness serve as protective factors against gaming addiction, while being unmarried or an only child provides additional safeguards. Conversely, increased time and financial investment in gaming activities are associated with a heightened risk of addiction. These findings are crucial for identifying high-risk gamers and informing the development of targeted interventions.

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire in a Sample of College Students

This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ). We explored the factor structure and construct validity of the MOGQ through its relationships with gaming disorder symptoms (IGD-20) and impulsivity traits. We also analyzed if sociodemographic variables and gaming habits were related to gaming motives. An online cross-sectional survey was completed by 845 college students. Structure validity was examined using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, which supported a bifactor model composed of a general motivation factor and six uncorrelated factors (a mixed factor composed of escape and coping, competition, recreation, skill, social, and fantasy). Omega-hierarchical and omega coefficients were used to determine reliability of the MOGQ. The scale presented acceptable reliability for the general factor (ωh = .79) and the specific factor scores (social ω = .79, escape/coping ω = .81, competition ω = .79, skill ω = .84, fantasy ω = .82, and recreation ω = .70). Positive associations were observed between the MOGQ and the IGD-20 symptoms, with escape/coping (r = .48) and fantasy (r =.40) showing the strongest ones. Null or low correlations were observed with impulsivity traits. Motives to play varied significantly across genders. These findings provide evidence that the Spanish version of the MOGQ is a reliable and valid tool to assess motives to play online games.