Motivation and Passion: Understanding and Contextualizing Problematic and Healthy Videogame Play in Young People

Videogames are a widely enjoyed activity, with numerous benefits linked to their play. However, the way that people engage with videogames, and the way that engagement impacts their wellbeing and broader life can vary greatly. This project aims to better understand what makes videogame play a beneficial activity for some and potentially detrimental for others. To do this, we aim to uncover the connection between factors including need satisfaction and passion for videogames to the occurrence and development of problematic videogame play (also referred to as videogame addiction, internet gaming disorder, etc.) in young players (between 16 and 25 years). This research may aid in creating a scaffold for future efforts in identification, prevention, and treatment of problematic videogame play alongside helping to identify how positive engagement can best be fostered.

This study will contribute to this emerging area of digital wellbeing through:

•  The creation of a specialised measure to assess passion for videogames
• A prospective study designed to understand the relationship between a variety of factors (including passion type, needs satisfaction and needs frustration) and problematic videogame play over time.
• A qualitative study focused on understanding the nuance within, and context surrounding both healthy and problematic videogame play.