Video/computer/online gaming acquired great
popularity. A series of studies show that gaming is accompanied by flow experience
(the term coined M. Csikszentmihalyi), which is associated with intrinsic motivation,
creativity and life happiness. The study was held with Chinese adolescent and adult
gamers (N = 1574). A 24-item questionnaire (available in English, Russian and French)
was adapted to be used within a Chinese population. The results show that Chinese
gamers experience low level of Flow during gameplay sessions; males experience flow
more frequently compared to females; adolescents experience flow more often than
adults. Chinese gamers seldom express facts of immersion during play sessions. In
sum, Chinese players seldom regard playing video/compu- ter/online games a reasonable
way to attain intrinsic motivation and flow. This result is discussed and supposedly
rooted in the social ideals of collectivism in Chinese culture, according to which
individuality is not encouraged.
References
[1]
Seligman, M.E.P. and Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000) Positive Psychology: An Introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.5
[2]
Deci, E. and Ryan, R. (1985) Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Plenum Press, New York. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7
[3]
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper and Row, New York.
[4]
Voiskounsky, A.E. (2008) Flow Experience in Cyberspace: Current Studies and Perspectives. In: Barak, A., Ed. Psychological Aspects of Cyberspace: Theory, Research, Applications, Cambridge University Press, New York, 70-101.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511813740.005
[5]
Voiskounsky, A.E. (2012) Flow Experience in Internet-Mediated Environments. In: Leontiev, D., Ed., Motivation, Consciousness and Self-Regulation, Nova Science Pub-lishers, New York, 243-269.
[6]
Marcus, H.R. and Kitayama, S. (1991) Culture and the Self: Implications for Cognition, Emotion, and Motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224-253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224
[7]
Faiola, A. and Voiskounsky, A.E. (2007) Flow Experience of MUD Players: Investigating Multi-User. Dimension Gamers from the USA. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 4564, 324-333.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73257-0_36
[8]
Voiskounsky, A.E., Mitina, O.V. and Avetisova, A.A. (2005) Communicative Patterns and Flow Experience of MUD Players. International Journal of Advanced Media and Communication, 1, 5-25.
[9]
Voiskounsky, A.E., Mitina, O.V. and Avetisova, A.A. (2004) Playing Online Games: Flow Experience. PsychNology Journal, 2, 259-281.
