• International Journal of Contents
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2018

This study explored potential therapeutic mechanisms of playing preferred online games as predictors of therapeutic interventions for players' psychosocial factors (i.e., aggression, depression, and loneliness). Based on theories of catharsis, the generic model of psychotherapy, we took a therapeutic approach to integrate these perspectives. We created a path model describing how therapeutic catharsis-seeking, online game self-efficacy, and life self-efficacy were associated with psychosocial factors of aggression, depression, and loneliness, including generalized sub-constructs of each factor as multi-dimensional sources. We analyzed the path model using data of 1,227 online game players in Korea. Our results indicated that therapeutic catharsis-seeking could alleviate aggression via favorite game playing. Life self-efficacy was a primary predictor for alleviating depression and loneliness. However, online game self-efficacy was positively associated with depression and loneliness. Implications of these findings are discussed.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.7-14
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• 2015

This study examined whether game usage would alleviate players' aggressive tendencies. Other game-related variables, psychological care factors (adaptive game use tendency, game self-efficacy, and life self-efficacy), and psychological problem factors (loneliness and depression) were controlled for determination of the effect. We drew on the catharsis theory from therapeutic psychology literature to explain how game usage contributes to the alleviation of aggressive tendencies. Over two weeks data were collected from 918 participants online. The results indicated that gaming activity had a significant effect on aggression. Higher levels of game and life self-efficacy, as well as adaptive game use tendencies, decreased the degree of aggression. Likewise, higher levels of loneliness and depression reduced the degree of aggression. Results and implications are discussed.