The role of high school students' motivation for digitalgame playing and participation in physical activity on their happiness levels

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of high school students' motivation for digital game playing and participation in physical activity on their happiness levels. Another purpose of the study is to examine the relationships between digital game playing, motivation for participation in physical activity, happiness levels, and various demographic variables (gender, digital game playing duration, daily exercise duration, family support, academic achievement, and the presence of a gym at school). The research employed the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research designs frequently used in descriptive research. The population of the present study comprises 654 high school students enrolled in various high schools located in Ardahan Province during the 2024–2025 academic year. The sample of the study consists of a total of 456 students, including 221 (44.1%) females and 255 (55.9%) males. The data were collected through the "Physical Activity Participation Motivation Scale," the "Digital Game Playing Motivation Scale," and the "Oxford Happiness Questionnaire." Descriptive statistics, including arithmetic mean and standard deviation, were utilized to determine the levels of the participants' scores on the scales according to demographic variables. To identify potential differences in the scores obtained from the scales, independent samples t-test and One-way ANOVA analyses were employed. The data analyses were conducted using the SPSS 23.00 statistical software package. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient technique were applied to examine the relationships among the variables. As a result of the study, students' motivation for digital game playing was found to range between moderate and high levels. A significant difference was found in favor of male students in the curiosity and social acceptance sub-dimensions according to gender. It was observed that as the daily digital game playing time increased, curiosity and social acceptance levels also increased significantly. Students with higher academic achievement had higher happiness levels compared to those with lower achievement. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between certain sub-dimensions of digital game motivation and motivation for participation in physical activity. According to the regression analysis results, it was determined that motivation for digital game playing and participation in physical activity significantly predicted students' happiness levels statistically. Keywords: Digital Game, Motivation, Physical Activity, Happiness