Game identity-based motivations of playing World of Warcraft and their psychological outcomes

Previous studies have found that playing massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) such as World of Warcraft (WoW) can lead to socialising and enhanced connectedness as well as negative wellbeing outcomes. Motivations for achievement and socialising play central roles in playing MMOGs. Using data from a survey of 181 WoW players, this study examined the relationship among game identities, motivations for playing WoW, and psychological outcomes. Results from analyses of path models suggested that motivations for achievement and socialising were influenced by game identities. While these motivations substantially explained the variance in players’ sense of WoW community, these factors only explained a small portion of negative psychological well-being. This study attests to the possibility of utilising identity-based motivations in online game studies to understand psychological outcomes for players