TABLE 3.
Associations between preferred video game genre and psychological functioning.
| Video game genre | |||||
|
rpart |
|||||
| Simulation | Strategy | Action | Role-playing | Unclassified | |
| General psychopathology | 0.06∗∗ | 0.01 | 0.06∗∗∗ | 0.07∗∗∗ | 0.07∗∗∗ |
| Coping | |||||
| Self-distraction | 0.07∗∗ | 0.04* | 0.07∗∗∗ | 0.12∗∗∗ | 0.12∗∗∗ |
| Denial | 0.06∗∗ | –0.03 | 0.06∗∗ | –0.01 | 0.08∗∗∗ |
| Substance use | –0.00 | −0.04* | 0.05* | 0.00 | 0.02 |
| Venting | 0.06∗∗ | −0.05* | 0.04* | 0.04+ | 0.07∗∗∗ |
| Self-blame | 0.02 | 0.03+ | –0.01 | 0.06∗∗ | 0.02 |
| Behavioral disengagement | 0.05* | 0.03 | 0.03+ | 0.05* | 0.02 |
| Acceptance | 0.01 | –0.01 | 0.06∗∗ | 0.02 | 0.03+ |
| Active coping | –0.01 | 0.05* | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.06∗∗ |
| Planning | 0.03 | 0.09∗∗∗ | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.05∗∗ |
| Positive reframing | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.05∗∗ | –0.00 | 0.09∗∗∗ |
| Affect | |||||
| Positive affect in general | 0.04+ | 0.00 | 0.07∗∗∗ | –0.07∗∗∗ | 0.10∗∗∗ |
| Negative affect in general | 0.06∗∗ | 0.02 | 0.05* | 0.09∗∗∗ | 0.04+ |
| Positive affect while playing | 0.01 | 0.07∗∗∗ | 0.21∗∗∗ | 0.06∗∗ | 0.11∗∗∗ |
| Negative affect while playing | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.13∗∗∗ | 0.01 | 0.07∗∗∗ |
| Shyness | 0.03 | 0.04* | –0.02 | 0.13∗∗∗ | –0.03 |
| Loneliness | 0.04+ | 0.00 | –0.01 | 0.07∗∗ | 0.01 |
| Preference for solitude | –0.00 | 0.03+ | 0.03 | 0.12∗∗∗ | −0.03+ |
| Life satisfaction | –0.00 | –0.01 | –0.01 | –0.06∗∗ | 0.01 |
| Self-esteem | –0.01 | 0.00 | −0.03+ | –0.12∗∗∗ | –0.00 |
| Self-efficacy | –0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | –0.05∗∗ | 0.04+ |
| Social support | –0.00 | –0.03 | –0.00 | –0.05∗∗ | 0.03 |
| Friends and acquaintances offline | 0.00 | –0.01 | 0.01 | –0.10∗∗∗ | 0.09∗∗∗ |
| Friends and acquaintances online | –0.01 | 0.07∗∗ | 0.08∗∗∗ | 0.05∗∗ | 0.05∗∗ |
| Grade point average | 0.06∗∗ | –0.06∗∗ | 0.12∗∗∗ | 0.03 | 0.03 |
Ns ranged from 2,732 to 2,733. Preferred video game genres refer to Apperley’s (2006) classification and were assessed by ratings of how often various subgenres were played ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (very often). Simulation included: life simulations (e.g., The Sims), economy simulations (e.g., Sim City), sport simulations (e.g., Fifa), other simulations (e.g., Flight Simulator). Strategy included: real-time strategy games (e.g., Age of Empires), round-based strategy games (e.g., Civilization). Action included: first-person shooter single-player (e.g., Half Life), first-person shooter multiplayer (e.g., Counterstrike), third-person games (e.g., Tomb Raider). Role-playing included: MMORPGs (e.g., World of Warcraft), single-player role-playing games (e.g., Dragon Age), adventures (e.g., Monkey Island). Unclassified included: jump’n’runs (e.g., Donkey Kong), social-network applications (e.g., Farmville), browser games (e.g., Sea Fight), games of skill (e.g., Tetris), music games (e.g., Guitar Hero), brain jogging (e.g., Dr. Kawashima), online gambling and card games (e.g., Poker), and single-player card games (e.g., Solitaire). Grade point average: higher values reflect poorer school performance. Partial correlations (rpart, controlled for sex and age) are presented. Partial correlations (controlled for sex and age) with the AICA-S: rpart = −0.03+ for simulation, rpart = 0.06∗∗ for strategy, rpart = 0.12∗∗∗ for action, rpart = 0.15∗∗∗ for rpg, and rpart = 0.01 for unclassified. +p < 0.10, *p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, and ∗∗∗p < 0.001.