Player-avatar interactions in habitual and problematic gaming: A qualitative investigation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Previous studies have reported that stronger avatar identification and negative self-concept are associated with gaming disorder (GD). This study aimed to examine the value and significance of avatars based on firsthand accounts from regular and problematic gamers, and to identify any potential links between avatar-related experiences and excessive gaming. METHODS: An online survey of 993 adult gamers yielded 3,972 text responses. Qualitative analysis of 59,059 words extracted 10 categories of avatar-related perspectives. RESULTS: Some problem and non-problem gamers employed sentimental language (e.g., 'dear friend', 'like a child', 'part of my soul') to refer to their avatar. However, most participants perceived avatars as a means of achieving in-game goals and enabling greater interactivity (e.g., socializing). When asked to reflect on hypothetically losing their avatar, participants generally anticipated feeling temporary frustration or annoyance due to lost time and effort invested into the avatar. Although some participants reported that their avatar 'mattered', avatars were often considered as superficial ('just pixels') and peripheral to the primary reinforcement of achieving in-game rewards and objectives. Some broader psychological and identity issues such as gender dysphoria, rather than 'addiction', were cited as motivating persistent avatar-related interactions and attachment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Participants reported diverse views on the psychological value and function of avatars, but the relationship between avatars and problematic gaming or GD was largely unclear or inconsistent, and refuted by some participants. Future research with clinical samples may lead to a better understanding of player-avatar processes, including whether avatar-stimuli facilitate the development of maladaptive gaming habits, particularly among psychologically vulnerable players. Future investigations should be mindful of 'overpathologizing' avatar-related phenomena and recognize their important role in socializing, storytelling, and creative expression among gamers.

Avatar- and self-related processes and problematic gaming: A systematic review.

The concept of self has become increasingly relevant to understanding the psychological mechanisms of problematic online gaming. Many gaming activities feature in-game avatars that enable the adoption of, and experimentation with, different roles and identities. Avatars enable players to compensate for perceived deficiencies in their real-world self (e.g., lack of physical strength, beauty, or social status). Currently, how avatar- and self-related processes may develop and maintain problematic gaming, including gaming disorder (GD), is unclear. This systematic review examined 18 quantitative studies of avatar- and self-related concepts and problematic gaming, including 13 survey-based and 5 neuroimaging studies. Despite variability in the conceptualization and measurement of avatar/self-related concepts, survey-based studies have consistently reported that negative self-concept, avatar identification, and large self-avatar discrepancies are significantly associated with problematic gaming. Poor self-concept appears to be a risk factor for GD, particularly for games that facilitate role-playing and identity formation. Further research and clinical evidence are needed to explain how avatar- and self-related processes may relate to the addictive mechanisms of GD (e.g., cognitive distortions, reward-seeking, inhibitory control, self-regulation systems), amid calls for problem gaming-related assessment and interventions to incorporate a focus on avatar identification.