Imagination, Coping and Social Motivations as Factors in Online Video Game Usage

Online addictions may be the result of poor coping motives (Whang, Lee & Chang, 2003), intensity of imagination (Kushner et al., 2007), or need to satisfy socially related desires (Campbell, Cumming, & Hughes, 2006). The motivations for playing online video games also appears to be rooted in imagination levels (Wood, Griffiths, Chappell, & Cavies, 2004), and in their socially related aspects (Ducheneaut, Yee, Nickell, & Moore, 2006), and coping value (Wan & Chiou, 2006). Participants were recruited via a survey link accessible through an online Survey Web Facility posted on Blackboard and sent to student email addresses provided by the registrar. Participants completed the COPE Inventory, an imagination inventory, an online game usage inventory, and a social needs inventory. Results indicated no relationship between imagination and addiction. However, results did indicate positive correlations between the Addiction scale and negative COPE subscales and negative correlations between the Addiction scale and positive COPE subscales. And positive correlations between the Online Social Orientation scale and negative COPE subscales and negative correlations between the Online Social Orientation scale and positive COPE subscales. Further research should involve longitudinal studies to gather more accurate data regarding cause and effect relationships between imagination, coping and social motivations, and game usage