Validating the distinction between computer addiction and engagement: online game playing and personality

Abstract This article considers validatory evidence for the previously made distinction between (pathological) computing-related addictions and (non-pathological) high engagement in computing activities, and an associated distinction between core and peripheral criteria for diagnosing computing-related addictions. Using data provided by 388 players of a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) via an online questionnaire, psychometric measures of engagement and addiction to the MMORPG taking into account the distinction between core and peripheral addiction criteria are shown to be differentially related to personality factors (extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, negative valence, and attractiveness). Addiction scale scores are shown to increase as negativity on all five personality characteristics increases, with these characteristics predicting 20% of the variance in addiction scores, but the same pattern is shown to occur for only one characteristic (negative valence) for the engagement scale, with personality characteristics predicting only around 2% of the variance in engagement scores. It is concluded that there is reasonable support for the distinctions between addiction and engagement and between core and peripheral criteria. Implications are discussed. Keywords: addictionpersonalitycomputer gamescomputer attitudes Acknowledgements The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an original version of this article. Notes 1. To give comparability across all analyses, this number excludes three multivariate outliers (z >±3.00), which were identified across regression analyses for both addiction and engagement.