An analysis of the correlation between internet gaming disorder, online player types and individual traits

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is theoretically associated with various player typologies or gaming motivations, as well as demographic variables such as gender, age, and gaming duration. It is thought that knowing which individual characteristics and player types IGD is associated with is important in order to recognize and prevent this condition. However, there exists a research gap in studies that concurrently examine these variables to elucidate their interrelationships. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between IGD online player types, and individual characteristics. To this end, data were collected from a sample of 645 players, and the relationships between these variables were analyzed using the Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) method. The findings indicated that the highest levels of IGD were significantly associated with individuals who exhibited high levels of the 'killer' and 'socializer' player types. Additionally, age and gaming duration were found to be significant variables only for players with low levels of the 'killer' type. Conversely, gender, as well as the 'achiever' and 'explorer' player types, did not demonstrate a significant relationship with IGD. Based on the findings, a variable other than gaming duration has been identified for the first time in a study as associated with IGD. Therefore, the impact of player types on IGD should be examined in more detail and comprehensively.