Exploring communication of compulsive gamers and their loved ones
Creators: name: Ki, Seol
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2017

description: With the increasing popularity of online games, compulsive gaming has emerged as an important social issue. Previous scholarship, especially from pathological perspectives, tends to focus on the effects of compulsive gaming on the gamer only at individual level, overlooking dynamic interpersonal communication processes between gamers and their loved ones (e.g., family, romantic partners, or friends). However, the compulsive gaming (so-called game addiction) does not exist in a vacuum; compulsive gamers and their loved ones experience and deal with complex interpersonal relationship issues specific to unhealthy gaming.  The current study focuses on three particular online support groups that are designed for (recovering) compulsive online gamers and their loved ones where they share social support to cope with their problems associated with compulsive gaming. Assuming compulsive online gaming and online social support are two interrelated aspects of internet use, this study examines the associations among compulsive gaming, gaming-related partner-control, gaming-specific relational conflict, and online social support. Drawing upon Relational Dialectics theory (Baxter &amp; Montgomery, 1996), Inconsistent Nurturing as Control theory (Le Poire, 1995), and Buffering Effect model of Social Support (Cobb, 1976; Cohen &amp; Wills, 1985), the current study poses18 hypotheses that link six study variables: compulsive gaming, partner-control, and relational conflict at offline level, and online support group participation, support group identification, and social support at online context.  Findings of an online survey of both gamers (N=103) and loved ones (N=57) supported the hypothesized positive associations between (a) compulsive gaming and consistent partner-control, (b) offline relational conflict and online support group participation level, (c) online support group participation and the amount of received online social support, and (d) online social support and online support group identification. The hypothesis on the mediating effects of relational conflict on online support group participation was also supported, indicating that (e) relational conflict between gamers and loved ones mediates the associations between partner-control and online support group participation. This implies the important roles of both partner’s controlling strategies and relationship problems in predicting online support group use for both compulsive gamers and their loved ones. Another path was found that (f) gamer’s received online social support mediates the impact of positive partner-control on gamer’s online support group participation. This suggests that positive reinforcement from non-gaming partner in tandem with online social support from other fellow recovering gamers predicts the level of online support group participation of recovering gamers. Overall, the quantitative findings highlight the important role of the loved ones of gamers in both gamer’s dyadic relational conflicts offline and collective recovery process (social support) online.   In addition, qualitative interviews (N=20) found two overarching dialectics between (g) expression and privacy in the online support forum as well as (h) nurturing and controlling in offline relationships. 11 tension management strategies (e.g., selection, vacillation, separation, hybrid sense-making) were also identified and discussed along with specific instances of micro control strategies of loved ones (13 tactics) and gamers’ responses (10 reactions), respectively.   This dissertation contributes to expanding the scholarship of problematic internet use, relationship tensions, and online social support. Moreover, discovering and highlighting the important role of the loved ones offers practical insights into the treatment of compulsive online gaming. This study also contributes to communication research with an integrated model of compulsive gaming, partner-control, relational conflict, and online social support group dynamics, which helps gamers, loved ones, scholars, and health practitioners understand the complexly interrelated problematic vs. supportive internet uses at the individual, interpersonal, and group level.