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

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).

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.

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).

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

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.

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