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Join nearly , subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia. Additionally, they compared on-line and in-person social support and outcomes, finding differential effects.
These findings are echoed by Voulgari et al. Moreover, gaming constituted a part of the gamers' existing real-world social life. Social capital effects investigated by the reviewed studies included bonding and bridging aspects. Bonding related social capital implies a deeper form of social support, experienced by those with whom one maintains emotional intimacy, such as their family and friends Meng et al.
In the game context, bonding social capital refers to the support networks within a specific online gaming group or community, such as one's guild i. Bridging social capital refers to the support, mainly by sharing information and resources, one may experience from broader and less intimate social groups they belong into, such as their social class, race, and religion Perry et al.
Castillo [study 2] found greater bridging social capital experienced when gamers presented more motivated to form relationships with others, compared to gaming for competitive reasons.
Moreover, Meng et al. This aligned with Kaye et al. The study by Perry et al. Their study further found that playing with real-life friends was positively associated with higher bonding social capital experienced by gamers. Interestingly, playing with strangers, and possible new friends, was positively associated with increased bridging social capital.
Choi [study 3] extended such findings by focusing on the link between a gamer's social interactions, avatar identification, and social capital. Higher avatar i. It was found that enjoyment of relationships in the online game was positively related to both bridging and bonding social capital, and this was partly associated to a gamer's amount of game play, active participation in guilds, and their reported enjoyment of the game.
The same three studies also suggested that gaming contributed to maintaining existing family and friend relationships, as well as the development of new meaningful friendships. One of the studies, did imply, however, that new online friends did not easily integrate into the older gamers' real lives Zhang and Kaufman, [study 18].
They explained that as the result of older adults' lesser need for large networks, as well as geographical limitations. Lastly, one article looked at social well-being through the lens of marital satisfaction Ahlstrom et al. They reported that compared to couples where only one member is a gamer, couples who game together experience higher levels of marital satisfaction.
Higher marital satisfaction was related to more time spent in in-game interaction and higher satisfaction of playing together. They supported that gaming is a leisure activity, where when only one person is immersed, disruption to marital harmony may be caused. Indeed, this was confirmed by both types of couples e.
A smaller proportion of studies looked at the effects of MMOG on components of mental well-being such as self-esteem, depression, stress, general affect, and skill acquisition. In their study investigating MMO involvement, gamer identity, and social capital, Kaye et al. Similarly, Choi's [study 3] study into the effects of avatar self-identification indicated that perceptions of social support from MMORPG increased avatar identification alongside the gamers' real-life self-esteem.
Gamers who engaged more in guild play, experienced higher levels of social support compared to levels of peer victimization , which resulted in improved self-esteem, lower depression, and stress symptoms. Their study revealed that gamers perceived their level of loneliness as significantly lower in the online world than in the real world.
Additionally, gaming with others already known to the player in their real-life decreased perceptions of real-world loneliness. Similarly, lower levels of loneliness and depression among gamers aged over 55 years were predicted by higher quality of guild play [study 18]. This suggested that for older adults, being an active member of an in-game guild, may improve their emotional well-being Zhang and Kaufman, The mixed methods study by Voulgari et al. Their study found that playing MMOGs had positive impacts on gaining social skills and improving cognitive skills, as well as a positive affective impact.
The cognitive skills they identified to have been improved included procedural knowledge and problem-solving skills. The acquisition of such cognitive and social skills was reported to be transferable into their offline world.
The authors also reported that for some gamers, positive affective impacts, such as enjoyment and satisfaction, were the most important outcomes. In-game and work leadership skills were looked at by Xanthopoulou and Papagiannidis [study 15] in their examination on the effects of gaming on real-life employment.
They found that in-game active learning was reflected in active learning at work, but only for high game performers. Moreover, transformational leadership was shown to spill over into a player's work life, although this appears to be enhanced by higher game performance. In that line, Doh and Whang focused on the development of behavioral statements to establish the gaming environment as a different pathway to use in identity development.
They reported that a player's motivation to participate in online gaming could progressively lead to an alternated identity. Lastly, Shen and Chen explored the effect of gaming related social capital into health-related outcomes. This study found that bonding and not bridging social capital occurring while playing online related to reduced health disruption in one's daily lives. The increasing preference for MMO gaming for leisure and e-sport has led to a large body of research investigating the possible adverse outcomes related to their excessive usage Stavropoulos et al.
However, less is known about the possible benefits of moderate MMO gaming for one's individual psychosocial well-being. The aim of this review was two-fold: a to identify and summarize the empirical evidence for the potential interpersonal and intrapersonal positive well-being outcomes for non-excessive MMO players over the age of 13; and b to identify possible research priorities in relation to better understanding the beneficial effects of MMO gaming.
Overall, a positive relationship between playing MMOs and social well-being was found. This systematic review identified 18 studies that were published between and , and which investigated the adaptive well-being outcomes of MMOG for adolescent and adult players.
These studies examined two key aspects of psychosocial well-being, as defined by Linton et al. Firstly, one's social well-being, encompassing individuals' connections with others—their interactions, their depth of relationships, and the social support their connections provided, was emphasized by the reviewed empirical evidence. This was the dominant topic of interest, while the gamers' mental well-being e.
In order to investigate these outcomes, gaming attributes such as gaming time, game performance, gamer identity, types of communication one is engaged in, type of co-players e. In that context, a commonly used measure of social well-being employed in the studies reviewed was social capital. The significant positive relationship found between MMOG engagement and bridging and bonding social capital in those studies appears promising. Specifically, reviewed findings in studies 2, 10, 12, and 16 suggest there is strong support for the notion that MMO gaming may foster one's social well-being in both virtual worlds and in their off-line lives Meng et al.
These overall positive conclusive impacts on one's social well-being seem to be reasonably robust given a the diverse game attributes considered in these studies e. Nevertheless, and in line with the current PRISMA systematic literature review's study eligibility criteria, it should be reiterated that the majority of the gamers in the studies reviewed were classified as non-problematic gamers, with study 5 actively excluding those who fit criteria for addiction e.
Thus, due to the wide range of time participants spent gaming, the findings are applicable to both the more casual and immersed gamer populations, solidifying the positive effects of MMO gaming on one's social well-being.
Further, the reviewed studies examined the mental well-being effects of one's MMO gaming. Self-esteem, loneliness, depression, and positive affect were the main psychological outcomes investigated, while studies 7 and 14 looked at cognitive skill acquisition Voulgari et al.
Overall, these studies found that gaming bolstered self-esteem, and reduced depression, stress, and loneliness, whilst fostering cognitive and social skills. However, these positive findings should be treated with some caution, as these variables were only considered in a handful of the studies and such revealed effects may be interwoven with one's concurrently experienced positive social well-being outcomes. More studies need to be conducted among MMO gamers, in which mental well-being outcomes are of primary focus, and social variables are controlled for.
Taken together, this review provides validation to game developers, educators, health professionals, and policy makers, that despite evidence regarding the adverse outcomes of excessive MMO gaming and problematic gaming behavior, there are important psychosocial benefits to be gained from moderate and adaptive gaming.
This information is relevant to game developers as they should be encouraged to find ways to enhance social contact opportunities. Moreover, it is important that health professionals and educators are aware that MMO gaming is an avenue for social connection and support, similar to other real-world leisure and sporting pursuits.
Pathologizing gaming could well undermine the identity, social, and psychological well-being of those who actively benefit by their moderate and adaptive gaming engagement. The validity of these results is restricted due to the heterogeneity of methodologies used in the studies reviewed. Although qualitative and quantitative empirical evidence was included, most studies used a descriptive design to assess the self-reported effects of MMO gaming on well-being. Moreover, although many of the studies controlled for some covariates, such as demographic variables or gaming time, variables of interest were narrow, and other unmeasured variables might account for some of the observed effects.
Additionally, although many of the predictor measures had solid theoretical bases, others have not been fully trialed e. Furthermore, the value of the findings is impacted by a lack of generalizable results. For example, self-selection bias was reported by several studies, where heavy gamers or an overly well-educated sample was used, and some studies looked at specific populations e.
Of note was a lack of variety in the well-being outcomes being studied. While social well-being is an important part of MMO gaming, little is known about other aspects of well-being such as mental well-being, spiritual well-being, and physical well-being.
The fact that no randomized control trials have been undertaken to contribute to the research on well-being outcomes and MMO participation is an important omission in this field of study. This review was limited to peer-reviewed studies published in three academic databases between and August , at one particular point in time.
Therefore, the review may be subject to English-language and publication bias, and the studies included may not be a representative sample. Relevant research may also have been missed due to including the use of selected search terms, and this review did not include non-peer-reviewed literature e. Finally, well-being is a broad concept, and other reviews may generate different empirical evidence dependent on the operationalizations followed.
Despite the noted review-level limitations, this study has several strengths. First, this review used rigorous methodology, following PRISMA guidelines and assessing quality and risk of bias using validated tools. Additionally, the inclusivity of study design has meant we have captured data through diverse approaches with similar outcomes. Finally, the broad search parameters with regards well-being ensured that we did not limit the construct to narrow conceptualizations of well-being outcomes related to MMO gaming.
This review has offered a valuable examination of the current research on the psychosocial benefits of multiplayer online gaming. It is important to note the number of reviewed studies that reported significant positive outcomes regarding social well-being.
The major limitation of the review relates to the modest quality of research in the area, and the limited aspects of well-being investigated to date.
While social well-being is an important part of MMO gaming, there is very little known about other aspects of well-being such as mental well-being, spiritual well-being, and physical well-being.
Recommendations for future research include broadening the well-being constructs that are investigated in relation to gaming. Clear and consistent operationalization of commonly used variables and measures and standardized demographic information would provide greater validity and comparability of results.
Longitudinal research in which baseline measurements of well-being and other variables are taken to assess changes in this outcome, to determine causation and not merely correlational effects is also required. Finally, using a greater variety of gaming platforms, instead of mostly WoW, would provide increased robustness for positive well-being outcomes related to MMOGs.
LR and JB performed the bibliographic search, participated in the selection of included studies, resolved methodological doubts of possible studies, and helped in the all versions of this manuscript. LK-D and VS were senior authors and were involved in the review design and review aim, also the above processes conducted by LR and JB, and manuscript revision and submission.
All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Adams, B. Internet gaming disorder behaviors in emergent adulthood: a pilot study examining the interplay between anxiety and family cohesion. Health Addict. Ahlstrom, M. Me, my spouse, and my avatar: the relationship between marital satisfaction and playing massively multiplayer online role playing games MMORPGs.
For example, a player in Eastern Canada on a 56kps modem playing on even a fast T1 server in the Western part of the United States, for example, would experience such horrid lag in the game that it would almost be unplayable. By the official release of Quake, however, id Software had addressed some of the many bandwidth problems in the game, but how fast and smooth your multiplayer game ran was largely dependent on your Internet connection and the location of the server you were joining.
In addition to the technological advances offered by Quake and the subsequent games that followed, the face of gaming changed due largely in part to the interactive nature of multiplayer games and the communication advantages of the Internet itself.
Suddenly people could go into a store and buy a multiplayer game, go home and get online with it and find themselves becoming involved in the social and community aspects of the game. Not only did these games offer you the opportunity to play head-to-head against others, but it also allowed you to join teams and play co-operative multiplayer.
Groups of players would band together as a team, called a Clan , and challenge other clans over the Internet. Frag counts would be posted, people would banter back and forth in IRC chat rooms and on Web site forums bringing a whole new social aspect to multiplayer gaming.
The image of a gamer also changed as time progressed. The stereotypical view of a gamer was that of a teen-age boy with a joystick in his hand, but over time people began to accept the notion that people from all walks of life; professionals, students and even women played these games. These titles along with many others put an emphasis on Internet multiplayer capabilities. For gamers on the Internet this increased the gameplay value of the game. Not only could you play a full-length single player game, but you could extend the life of the game by playing with friends and family on the LAN or connect to Internet servers to compete with others.
In gaming circles there is some debate as to who started the multiplayer phenomenon. MMORPGs take place in a persistent game world, where the gameplay and game world itself is constantly evolving and changing. To this end, the game developers will continue to update the game servers and gamers pay the price of this persistent world through additional monthly fees.
MMOGs are truly massive and allow thousands of gamers to join the game world and simultaneously interact in that game. When you join the game you continue playing, regardless of who else is on at the same time you are. Your goal is not to play the game to beat it. Instead it can be compared to a never-ending world which, if the game survives in the market, you could literally play for years with the same character.
A character that grows, learns new skills, and acquires new items for as long as you play. Each game server in a MMORPG usually holds at least a thousand players and the server runs the environments for a particular part of the game world. Good MMORPGs will be made of of several servers, each providing a part of the world and will allow gamers to traverse between the servers in essence, allowing gamers to travel to different parts of the game world.
Much like the forming of clans for the popular multiplayer shooter games, the community aspect of MMORPGs is brought together through gamers creating guilds and making alliances and friends within the game.
The heart of an MMORPG is based around a social aspect and the games will often offer additional support and help for clans and guilds which form in these games.
For those gamers not interesting in shooting things, taking tactical control of an army, or completing quests in a fantasy world, there are still other ways to be involved in multiplayer gaming.
Internet multiplayer games are those that require a connection to the Internet to play, and is a type of PC game. Internet games are online only games which you play in your browser without having to purchase software. Games, and Pogo to name but a few Internet gaming Web sites.
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