On 5-point Likert scales, 15% of respondents (n = 3989) agreed or strongly agreed that they become angry and irritable if they are unable to participate. 30% agreed or strongly agreed that they continue to participate in the environment even when they are frustrated with it or not enjoying the experience. And 18% of users agreed or strongly agreed that their usage patterns had caused them academic, health, financial or relationship problems. Agreement with the mentioned statements was significantly positively correlated with average weekly use of the environment. Even more striking, 50% of respondents (n = 3166) considered themselves addicted to an MMORPG in a direct “yes”/”no” question.
One proposed model of problematic usage [37] approaches the environment as a place where many common anxieties can be overcome. For example, users who have low self-esteem can become powerful and competent in these environments and they are driven to achieve in these
25 environments as a way of overcoming anxieties they have in the material world. Or for example, users who feel undervalued in the material world can become needed and valued members of groups or guilds. Users with poor self-image can choose to be as attractive and physically fit as they desire. Users with low internal locus-of-control gain a stronger sense of agency in these environments. Users with stressful problems can use these environments as escape. In short, these environments are seductive for some users because it empowers them in ways specific to their anxieties.
KiddosIt was found that male users score higher than female users on Achievement and Manipulation, whereas female users scored significantly higher on the Relationship, Immersion and Escapism factors. In other words, male users are more likely to engage in these environments to achieve objective goals, whereas female users are more likely to engage in MMORPGs to form relationships and become immersed in a fantasy environment. These gender differences resonate with findings by Cassell and Jenkins [33] and suggest that MMORPGs do not have one set of factors that appeals to everyone equally well, but instead, have a host of appealing factors each of which draws in users with different motivations. With regard to how these motivations related to usage patterns, among
male users, age was inversely correlated with the Manipulation (r = -.33, p < .001) and Achievement (r = -.27, p < .001) factors, implying that younger male users tend to objectify both the environment and other users for their own personal gains.
