Abstract
Research has provided evidence that online gaming can both positively and negatively impact players’ physical and mental health. However, few research studies have examined how game addiction, game community, and vitality felt while playing can inform well-being. This study addressed this gap by focusing on game players’ vitality, a construct that addresses both mental and physical health. The research, conducted with 704 online players, specifically examined the association between players’ enduring vitality and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), game community, and state-related vitality (experienced during gaming). The survey instruments included 1) the Internet Gaming Disorder short scale, 2) the Game Community of Inquiry Scale (GCoIS), and 3) the Game Subjective Vitality Scale. Findings highlighted the role of game community receptiveness in informing players’ vitality. In addition, in-game vitality and enduring vitality were found to be intertwined. Implications for future research and practice are provided based on these findings.
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The dataset generated and analyzed during the current study is not publicly available due to privacy-confidentiality reasons but is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Gandolfi, E., Ferdig, R.E., Wang, J. et al. Online gaming as a double-edged sword: An Analysis of game community receptiveness, in-game vitality, and player well-being. Educ Inf Technol 29, 5349–5379 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12011-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12011-0