Psychological Features of Computer Gamers

Abstract

Computer games can attract persons of any age: along with teenage gamers (addressed in most studies), adult gamers are becoming more numerous, but existing research of the latter age group of gamers is rather scanty. The papers presents a typology of computer games, a review of existing psychological research of adult gamers, and results of an original online study of adult gamers’ psychological variables in comparison to those of older teenagers. The following instruments were used: Personal Preference Inventory by A. Edwards, locus of control inventory, and Personality Factors of Decision-Making. The analysis is given of associations between adult gamers’ psychological features and the following variables: 1) preferred type of computer games, 2) gender, 3) gaming experience, and 4) time spent gaming in a single week.