1. Linda K. Kaye 1, Rachel Kowert 2 & Sally Quinn 3
The role of social identity and online social capital on psychosocial outcomes in MMO players
Linda K. Kaye 1, Rachel Kowert 2 & Sally Quinn 3
1 Edge Hill University, UK; 2 University of Münster; 3 University of York, UK

3. Effects of online gaming
Online gaming engagement
Psychosocial outcomes

4. What is gaming “engagement”?
Typical hours per week spent playing (> 1 hour per week = “gamer”)
Problematic versus non-problematic (Caplin et al., 2009; Collins & Freeman, 2013)
Heavy vs light (Lo et al., 2005)
Type of gaming engagement
Online videogamer vs Non online videogamer (Kowert et al., 2015)
Solo versus social gamer
Self-identification
“Gamer” versus “non-gamer” (Green & Bavelier, 2006)
Hard-core, casual, social, professional (Kaye, 2016)
Composite measures of “Involvement”: social identity, with play frequency and game variety (Kowert & Oldmeadow, 2014)

5. Effects of online gaming
Maybe there is something missing here?
Online gaming engagement
Psychosocial outcomes

6. Social affordances in MMOs
Social presence with others
Social context
Quality of relationships with other players
Gaming context
Connectedness with other players
Player
Social dynamics
Sense of community/social identity

7. Overview Social Identity Self-esteem MMO engagement Social capital
Loneliness
MMO involvement
Online bridging
To what extent does social identity to MMOs mediate MMO engagement and psychosocial outcomes?
Do different types of involvements in MMO communities hold differential outcomes for the components of social capital for MMO players?
To what extent does social identity and online social capital obtained through MMOs mediate the link between MMO engagement and psychosocial outcomes?
Method
MMO engagement (type of gamer, frequency of play, involvement in wider gaming activities- play MMOs with online-only friends, “real world friends”, contribute to MMO discussion boards, interact with MMO players outside game environment).
Social identity as a MMO player (Group Identification Scale; Doosje, Ellmers, & Spears, 1995)
Online social capital (Internet Social Capital Scale; Williams, 2006).
Self-esteem (Self Esteem Scale; Rosenberg, 1965)
Loneliness (UCLA loneliness scale; Russell, Peplau, & Ferguson, 1978)
Social competence (CPI:SY subscale of the IPIP Scale; Gough & Bradley, 1996)
Life satisfaction (Oxford Happiness Questionnaire; Hills & Argyle, 2002).
Social competence
Online bonding

8. Findings Social Identity Self-esteem MMO engagement Social capital
Loneliness
MMO involvement
β = .41, p < .01
Online bridging
β = .11, p < .01
Social competence
Online bonding
β = .31, p < .01

9. Findings Self-esteem Social Identity MMO engagement Social capital
Loneliness
MMO involvement
β= .41 p < .01
Online bridging
Social competence
β = .31, p < .01
Online bonding
β = -.15, p < .01

10. Findings Social capital MMO involvement All + and p < .001
Play MMO with online-only friends
Online bridging
Play MMOs with real world friends
Contribute to MMO discussion boards
Online bonding
Interact with MMO players outside game environment

11. Summary of findings Composite MMO involvement associated with:
Social identity (+)
Online social capital factors(+)
All MMO involvement activities related to both online social capital components
MMO Social identity related to:
Self-esteem (+)
Loneliness (-)
Online bonding related to:

12. Implications for the future
Involvement in MMOs involves many facets
Further research needs to avoid general recruiting of “online gamers” (or “gamers”) and instead focus on context-specific game domains for more nuanced account of social affordances

13. Implications for the future
Greater consistency needed in future research studies to agree on how we are conceptualising gaming “engagement”
This can help us better determine how we establish:
Who is a “gamer” (more than simply hours per week spent playing)
How we recruit participants for digital gaming research
How gaming domain identification interacts with gaming outcomes
Whether previous inconsistencies in gaming research may have occurred as a result of these conceptual discrepancies

14. Want to know more? Linda.kaye@edgehill.ac.uk
@LindaKKaye

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