Newsletter: January 2012

Pathological Gaming

Scott Swan, MA

 

Although the term was first coined in 1997, Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPG’s) have only recently received more mainstream attention among academic and clinical psychologists. Everquest and World of Warcraft are two of the most popular examples. These games offer virtual environments, including features such as the customization of characters, cooperative groups typically called guilds, long-running plot lines involving political rivalries and alliances, and even full economies encouraging the buying, selling, and trading of commodities. Customization of the character’s appearance, or avatar, can be quite complex, including vast options such as race, gender, skin tone, hair color and style, build, height, and even facial features. Consciously or otherwise, simply the choice of gender for one’s avatar can hold considerable meaning. Also, the “class” of a character can often be revealing (for example wizard, priest, or thief) and additional vocations are often available (such as blacksmith, herbalist, or jeweler).

 

Nick Yee, author of the Daedalus Project, has collected data from MMORPG players since 1999. His results have debunked several popular misconceptions about members of this subculture. For example, the average age of a MMORPG player is 26, while 50% of players have full-time employment, 36% are married, and 22% have children. Players spend on average 22 hours a week in the game environment, while 80% report playing simultaneously with someone they know in real life. Different needs are met according to the individual’s reasons for playing. The Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology originally rated players on four dimensions: Achievers, Explorers, Socializers, and Killers. For example, Killers thrive on the competitive aspect of a game, often succeeding in active leadership positions within guilds, and dominating the market share of in-game economies. On the other hand, Socializers thrive on immersing themselves in systems of groups and affiliations, fostering complex relationships and social obligations.

 

For the very reasons that many people are drawn to MMORPG environments (such as feelings of power and efficacy, the relative safety of social interaction, and opportunities to experiment with one’s identity), some players’ personal lives begin to suffer due to excessive play. Roughly half of Yee’s respondents considered themselves “addicted” to these games, yet there are no professionally agreed-upon criteria for applying the term addiction to this form of behavior. Factors that could be helpful in determining the extent to which gaming has become pathological include the relative salience of gaming in one’s life, alteration of mood associated with play, any tolerance, withdrawal, or relapse symptoms, the strength of a compulsion to play, and one’s overall well-being and functioning.

 

A recent study in Norway found that while 56% of their sample played video games, only 4% met criteria for excessive or compulsive gaming. A higher risk of problematic gaming was found in younger male respondents reporting more anxiety or depression, and in those with a generally lower satisfaction with life. Another study in the UK found that problematic MMORPG play was higher in those who had trouble controlling their impulses, but it was not related to other traits such as emotional intelligence, openness, or extraversion, as expected.

 

Exploration of the form and function of MMORPG’s in an individual’s life can be particularly helpful for increasing understanding about one’s personal identity, social anxiety, and unmet needs. Some gamers use their online identities to envision and experiment with an ideal self, while others unwittingly play out aspects of the self that would otherwise be unacceptable or disavowed. With or without the support of psychotherapy, content from an MMORPG can fuel a vital exploration of discrepancies between the real, ideal, and even shadow selves. Also, for many players, social roles develop within guilds and other groups, and these are often meaningful ways of experiencing efficacy. Compensating for problems with social anxiety or bullying, these experiences can be quite compelling, sometimes to the exclusion of relationships in real life. Bridging these rewarding roles to similar ones outside the game can provide opportunities for personal development, such that a gaming environment can become a transitional and experimental space, rather than simply a maladaptive coping strategy.

 

If you are concerned about a possible problem with online gaming in yourself or a loved one, or if you are working with patients who suffer from such a problem, remember that such behavior always serves some important purpose, even at a price. It can be helpful to keep in mind that meaningful things can be learned about this behavior if you can foster curiosity about the ways it can relate to one’s identity and struggles (especially to the extent that gaming represents play above and beyond compulsion). Although the MMORPG culture can initially be difficult for an outsider to understand or appreciate, a little effort can go a long way towards understanding and growth.

 

 

For comparison, the A. C. Nielsen Co. reports that the average American watches 28 hours of television per week.