Motivational Profiling of League of Legends Players

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Florian Brühlmann¹  Philipp Baumgartner¹  Günter Wallner²  Simone Kriglstein⁵  Elisa D. Mekler⁷ 

[1] Human-Computer Interaction Research Group, Department of Psychology, Center for General Psychology and Methodology, University of Basel;Department of Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology;Faculty of Business and IT, Ontario Tech University;Institute of Art and Technology, University of Applied Arts Vienna;AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH;Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna;Department of Computer Science, Aalto University

关键词: motivation;    MOBA;    game analytics;    self-determination theory;    latent profile analysis;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01307

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Player motivation is a key research area within games research, with the aim of understanding how the motivation of players is related to their experience and behavior in the game. We present the results of a cross-sectional study with data from 750 players of League of Legends , a popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game. Based on the motivational regulations posited by Self-Determination Theory and Latent Profile Analysis, we identify four distinct motivational profiles, which differ with regards to player experience and, to a lesser extent, in-game behavior. While the more self-determined profiles “Intrinsic” and “Autonomous” report mainly positive experience-related outcomes, a considerable part of the player base does not. Players of the “Amotivated” and “External” profile derive less enjoyment, experience more negative affect and tension, and score lower on vitality, indicating game engagement that is potentially detrimental to players' well-being. With regards to game metrics, minor differences in the rate of assists in unranked matches and performance indicators were observed between profiles. This strengthens the notion that differences in experiences are not necessarily reflected in differences in behavioral game metrics. Our findings provide insights into the interplay of player motivation, experience, and in-game behavior, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of player-computer interaction.

【 授权许可】

CC BY