Introduction of a new instrument to measure motivation for gaming: the electronic gaming motives questionnaire

Abstract

Aims: To adapt the four-dimensional Gambling Motives Questionnaire-Revised (GMQ-R) to measure the motivation for engaging in electronic gaming, and to validate the internal structure and investigate the criterion validity of the new Electronic Gaming Motives Questionnaire (EGMQ).

Design and setting: The GMQ-R was adapted to measure motivation for playing video games and the new instrument was tested on a sample of Norwegian conscripts selected randomly from the pool of conscripts who started their military service between 2013 and 2015.

Participants: The questionnaire was administered to all those who had played video games during the last 6 months and consisted of 853 gamers (86.8% men, mean age = 19.4 years).

Measurements: All participants completed the EGMQ, as well as other measures of gaming behaviour, gaming problems, boredom, loneliness and depression.

Findings: The confirmatory factor analyses showed that the proposed EGMQ (measuring enhancement, coping, social and self-gratification motives) displayed satisfactory fit and internal consistency. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that gender emerged as a significant predictor (P < 0.001) of all the dependent variables (variety, hours weekly gaming, loss of control and gaming problems) and the first step explained between 1 and 6.1% of the variance in the gaming behaviours. In the second step the four motivational dimensions explained an additional 5.8-38.8% of the variance. Coping and self-gratification predicted gaming problems (P < 0.001) and coping alone predicted loss of control (P < 0.001). The four motivational dimensions were also predicted differentially by indicators of psychosocial wellbeing, indicating divergent validity of the four motives.

Conclusions: The four-dimensional Electronic Gaming Motives Questionnaire is a valid instrument for measuring motives for gaming.

Keywords: Assessment; coping motivation; electronic gaming motives questionnaire; enhancement motivation; gaming; gaming motives; motivation; self-gratification motivation; social motivation.