• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.69-98
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• 2009

We investigated what factors motivate gamers to participate in a guild and why they continue to be engaged as members of the guild. We find that, based on the result of focus group interviews with MMORPG gamers, social support and self-esteem factors play important roles. Considering both prior research and the focus group interviews we have conducted, we define social support and character control as independent variables. Character identity, guild identity, and self-esteem are proposed as mediating variables while guild flow and game loyalty as dependent variables. Accordingly, we develop the research model and hypotheses, and verify them empirically. Based on our experiences of playing the WoW game, we proposed a research model and conducted focus-group interviews (FGIs). FGIs involve formulating a hypothesis and then collecting some relevant data. FGIs were conducted face-to-face with students of C University in Korea. We formulated structured interview schedules, and the questions were based on our research variables and personal experiences. The questions for the interviews encompassed the following areas: (a) the demographic characteristics of the focus group; (b) the number of years for which respondents had played online games; (c) the motive for starting a game; (d) the number of game-characters assumed by each gamer; (e) the type of game played; and (f) other issues such as the reasons for involvement in the play, the willingness to reuse the game in case new versions were released, etc. On average, it took two hours to interview each of three groups. A primary set of FGIs was conducted with three groups on the premise that there would be some differences caused by character race (Horde vs. Alliance) or by playable server (Normal vs. Combat). With respect to the manner of playing, we found that guild members shared information, felt a sense of belonging, and played computer games for quite a long time through the guild; however, they did not undergo these experiences when playing alone. Gamers who belonged to a specific guild helped other players without expecting compensation for that, freely shared information about the game, gave away items for free, and more generous with other members who made mistakes. The guild members were aware of the existence other members and experienced a sense of belonging through interactions with, and evaluations from, other players. It was clear that social support was shown within the guild and that it played an important role as a major research variable. Based on the results of the first FGIs, a second set of in-depth FGIs was carried out with a focus on the psychology of the individual within the guild and the social community of the guild. The second set of FGIs also focused on the guild's offline meetings. Gamers, over all, recognize the necessity of joining a community, not only off-line but also online world of the guild. They admit that the guild is important for them to easily and conveniently enjoy playing online computer games. The active behavior and positive attitudes of existing guild members can motivate new members of the guild to adapt themselves to the guild environment. They then adopt the same behaviors and attitudes of established guild members. In this manner, the new members of the guild strengthen the bonds with other gamers while feeling a sense of belonging, and developing social identity, thereby. It was discovered that the interaction among guild members and the social support encouraged new gamers to quickly develop a sense of social identity and increase their self-esteem. The guild seemed to play the role of socializing gamers. Sometimes, even in the real world, the guild members helped one another; therefore, the features of the guild also spilled over to the offline environment. We intend to use self-esteem, which was found through the second set of FGIs, as an important research variable. To collect data, an online survey was designed with a questionnaire to be completed by WoW gamers, who belong to a guild. The survey was registered on the best three domestic game-sites: 'WoW playforum,' 'WoW gamemeca,' and 'Wow invent.' The selected items to be measured in the questionnaire were decided based on prior research and data from FGIs. To verify the content of the questionnaire, we carried out a pilot test with the same participants to point out ambiguous questions as a way to ensure maximum accuracy of the survey result. A total of 244 responses were analyzed from the 250 completed questionnaires. The SEM analysis was used to test goodness-of-fit of the model. As a result, we found important results as follows: First, according to the statistics, social support had statistically significant impacts on character control, character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Second, character control had significant effects on character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Third, character identity shows its clear impact on self-esteem and game loyalty. Fourth, guild identity affected self-esteem, guild flow and game loyalty. Fifth, self-esteem had a positive influence on the guild flow. These days, the number of virtual community is rising along with its significance largely because of the nature of the online games. Accordingly, this study is designed to clarify the psychological relationship between gamers within the guild that has been generally established by gamers to play online games together. This study focuses on the relationships in which social support influences guild flow or game loyalty through character control, character identity, guild identity, and self-esteem, which are present within a guild in the MMORPG game environment. The study results are as follows. First, the effects of social support on character control, character identity, guild identity and self-esteem are proven to be statistically significant. It was found that character control improves character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Among the seven variables, social support, which is derived from FGIs, plays an important role in this study. With the active support of other guild members, gamers can improve their ability to develop good characters and to control them. Second, character identity has a positive effect on self-esteem and game loyalty, while guild identity has a significant effect on self-esteem, guild flow and game loyalty. Self-esteem affects guild flow. It was found that the higher the character and guild identities become, the greater the self-esteem is established. Contrary to the findings of prior research, our study results indicate that the relationship between character identity and guild flow is not significant. Rather, it was found that character identity directly affects game players' loyalty. Even though the character identity had no direct effect on increasing guild flow, it has indirectly affected guild flow through self-esteem. The significant relationship between self-esteem and guild flow indicates that gamers achieve flow, i.e., a feeling of pleasure and excitement through social support. Several important implications of this study should be noted. First, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to conduct this study. Through FGIs, it was observed that both social support and self-esteem are important variables. Second, because guilds had been rarely studied, this research is expected to play an important role in the online community. Third, according to the result, six hypotheses (H1, H5, H6, H7, H8, and H11) setup based on FGIs, were statistically significant; thus, we can suggest the corresponding relationships among the variables as a guideline for follow-up research. Our research is significant as it has following implications: first, the social support of the guild members is important when establishing character control, character identity, guildidentity and self-esteem. It is also a major variable that affects guild flow and game loyalty. Second, character control when improved by social support shows notable influence on the development of character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Third, character identity and guild identity are major factors to help establish gamers' own self-esteem. Fourth, character identity affects guild flow through self-esteem and game loyalty. The gamers usually express themselves through characters; the higher character identity is, the more loyalty a gamer has. Fifth, guild identity, established within the guild, has clear effects on self-esteem, guild flow and game loyalty. Sixth, qualitative and quantitative methods are employed to conduct this study. Based on the results of focus group interviews and SEM analysis, we find that the social support by guild members and psychological factors are significant in strengthening the flow of guild and loyalty to the game. As such, game developers should provide some extra functions for guild community, through which gamers can play online games in collaboration with one another. Also, we suggest that positive self-esteem which is built up through social support can help gamers achieve higher level of flow and satisfaction, which will consequently contribute to minimizing the possibility for the players to develop negative attitude toward the guild they belong to.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.92-100
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• 1997

뚜렛장애는 운동틱과 음성틱이 복합적으로 나타나는 만성적인 질환으로써 임상적인 특성, 동반된 행동상의 문제들에 대해 전세계적으로 많은 연구가 이루어지고 있다. 이 연구의 목적은 한국의 뚜렛장애 환자의 임상적인 특성과 동반된 행동상의 특징을 비교적 다수 환자집단을 대상으로 연구한 것이다. 연구대상은 157명의 뚜렛장애 환자로서 1988년부터 1994년까지 연세대학교 정신과 뚜렛클리닉을 방문한 환자들이었다. 진단을 위해 DSM-III-R의 진단기준을 사용하였다. 인구학적 자료, 증상, 경과 등 임상적인 특성, 가족력 및 과잉행동, 강박성, 충동성, 야뇨증, 자기파괴행동, 수면장애 등 동반된 행동상의 특징은 본 연구를 위해 고안된 반구조화된 설문지와 전반적 임상적 인상(global clinical impression)을 이용해 평가하였다. 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 환자들의 평균연령은 14.49(${\pm}7.99$)세였다. 남자가 138명(87.9%), 여자는 19명(12.1%)으로 남녀의 성비가 약 7：1의 비율로 남자가 많았다. 133명(84.7%)은 오른손잡이였고 24명(15.3%)은 양손잡이거나 왼손잡이였다. 평균발병연령은 8.85(${\pm}4.56$)세였고 발병연령의 범위는 2세에서 16세였다. 반수 이상의 환자가 6세에서 10세 사이에 발병하는 양상을 보였다. 발명연령에 있어 두번의 높은 발병빈도가 관찰되었는데 처음에는 6세경에 높은 양상을 보였고 이후 10세 무렵에 다시 한번 높은 발병빈도가 관찰되었다. 이러한 경향은 남녀간에 공통적이었다. 처음 증상중 가장 흔한 것은 눈깜박임으로 55% 이상의 환자에서 나타났다. 다음으로는 고개 돌리기, 음성틱 등이었다. 환자들이 발병후 내원할 때까지 보였던 모든 틱증상의 빈도를 보면 전체 환자중 129명(82.2%)에서 눈깜박임이 있었고 91명(57.9%)이 고개짓, 83명(52.7%)이 어깨 움추리기 혹은 돌리기, 51명(32.6%)이 팔흔들기가 있었다. 101명(64.3%)은 증상이 신체의 상부에서 하부로 향했고 25명(15.9%)은 신체의 하부에서 상부로 증상이 진행하는 양상을 보였다. 나머지는 음성틱과 고개돌리기가 비슷한 시기에 나타나는 등 증상의 진행방향에서 상향성 혹은 하향성을 정하기 어려운 환자들이었다. 환자의 아버지중 19명(12%)이 강박장애의 병력이 있었고 17명(10.6%)은 틱장애의 병력이 있었다. 반면, 환자의 어머니중 7명(4.5%)이 강박장애의 병력이 있었고 4명(2.5%)은 틱장애의 병력이 있었다. 환자중 118명(75.1%)에서 과잉행동이 동반되었고 95명(60.5%)에서 강박증상이 동반되었고 55명(35.0%)에서 자기파괴적인 행동이 있었으며 46명(29.3%)에서 충동성이 동반되었고 35명(22.3%)에서 유뇨증이 관찰되었다. 환자의 발병연령과 내원시 연령, 병의 이병 기간, 강박증상의 정도 사이에 통계적으로 유의한 양성의 상관관계가 있었고 과잉행동성과 음성의 상관관계가 있었다. 과잉행동성과 충동성, 강박성, 야뇨증, 자기파괴적 행동사이에 통계적으로 유의한 양성의 상관관계가 있었다. 환자의 강박증상의 정도와 과잉행동성, 수면장애, 자기파괴적 행동 사이에 통계적으로 유의한 양성의 상관관계가 있었다. 본 연구 결과 저자들은 외래에 내원한 뚜렛장애 환자의 임상적 특성이나 동반된 행동상 문제들이 이전 연구와 크게 상이하지 않음을 확인할 수 있었으며 발병연령이 어릴수록 과잉행동성이 심했으며 발병연령이 늦을수록 강박성이 심했다. 과잉행동성과 충동성, 강박성, 야뇨증, 자기파괴적 행동 등은 상호 높은 관련성이 있었다.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.53-84
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• 2013

With rapid development of ICT (Information and Communications Technology), new services by the convergence of mobile network and application technology began to appear. Today, smart phone with new ICT convergence network capabilities is exceedingly popular and very useful as a new tool for the development of business opportunities. Previous studies based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) suggested critical factors, which should be considered for acquiring new customers and maintaining existing users in smart phone market. However, they had a limitation to focus on technology acceptance, not value based approach. Prior studies on customer's adoption of electronic utilities like smart phone product showed that the antecedents such as the perceived benefit and the perceived sacrifice could explain the causality between what is perceived and what is acquired over diverse contexts. So, this research conceptualizes perceived value as a trade-off between perceived benefit and perceived sacrifice, and we need to research the perceived value to grasp user's continuous intention to use of smart phone. The purpose of this study is to investigate the structured relationship between benefit (quality, usefulness, playfulness) and sacrifice (technicality, cost, security risk) of smart phone users, perceived value, and continuous intention to use. In addition, this study intends to analyze the differences between two subgroups of smart phone users by the degree of personal innovativeness. Personal innovativeness could help us to understand the moderating effect between how perceptions are formed and continuous intention to use smart phone. This study conducted survey through e-mail, direct mail, and interview with smart phone users. Empirical analysis based on 330 respondents was conducted in order to test the hypotheses. First, the result of hypotheses testing showed that perceived usefulness among three factors of perceived benefit has the highest positive impact on perceived value, and then followed by perceived playfulness and perceived quality. Second, the result of hypotheses testing showed that perceived cost among three factors of perceived sacrifice has significantly negative impact on perceived value, however, technicality and security risk have no significant impact on perceived value. Also, the result of hypotheses testing showed that perceived value has significant direct impact on continuous intention to use of smart phone. In this regard, marketing managers of smart phone company should pay more attention to improve task efficiency and performance of smart phone, including rate systems of smart phone. Additionally, to test the moderating effect of personal innovativeness, this research conducted multi-group analysis by the degree of personal innovativeness of smart phone users. In a group with high level of innovativeness, perceived usefulness has the highest positive influence on perceived value than other factors. Instead, the analysis for a group with low level of innovativeness showed that perceived playfulness was the highest positive factor to influence perceived value than others. This result of the group with high level of innovativeness explains that innovators and early adopters are able to cope with higher level of cost and risk, and they expect to develop more positive intentions toward higher performance through the use of an innovation. Also, hedonic behavior in the case of the group with low level of innovativeness aims to provide self-fulfilling value to the users, in contrast to utilitarian perspective, which aims to provide instrumental value to the users. However, with regard to perceived sacrifice, both groups in general showed negative impact on perceived value. Also, the group with high level of innovativeness had less overall negative impact on perceived value compared to the group with low level of innovativeness across all factors. In both group with high level of innovativeness and with low level of innovativeness, perceived cost has the highest negative influence on perceived value than other factors. Instead, the analysis for a group with high level of innovativeness showed that perceived technicality was the positive factor to influence perceived value than others. However, the analysis for a group with low level of innovativeness showed that perceived security risk was the second high negative factor to influence perceived value than others. Unlike previous studies, this study focuses on influencing factors on continuous intention to use of smart phone, rather than considering initial purchase and adoption of smart phone. First, perceived value, which was used to identify user's adoption behavior, has a mediating effect among perceived benefit, perceived sacrifice, and continuous intention to use smart phone. Second, perceived usefulness has the highest positive influence on perceived value, while perceived cost has significant negative influence on perceived value. Third, perceived value, like prior studies, has high level of positive influence on continuous intention to use smart phone. Fourth, in multi-group analysis by the degree of personal innovativeness of smart phone users, perceived usefulness, in a group with high level of innovativeness, has the highest positive influence on perceived value than other factors. Instead, perceived playfulness, in a group with low level of innovativeness, has the highest positive factor to influence perceived value than others. This result shows that early adopters intend to adopt smart phone as a tool to make their job useful, instead market followers intend to adopt smart phone as a tool to make their time enjoyable. In terms of marketing strategy for smart phone company, marketing managers should pay more attention to identify their customers' lifetime value by the phase of smart phone adoption, as well as to understand their behavior intention to accept the risk and uncertainty positively. The academic contribution of this study primarily is to employ the VAM (Value-based Adoption Model) as a conceptual foundation, compared to TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) used widely by previous studies. VAM is useful for understanding continuous intention to use smart phone in comparison with TAM as a new IT utility by individual adoption. Perceived value dominantly influences continuous intention to use smart phone. The results of this study justify our research model adoption on each antecedent of perceived value as a benefit and a sacrifice component. While TAM could be widely used in user acceptance of new technology, it has a limitation to explain the new IT adoption like smart phone, because of customer behavior intention to choose the value of the object. In terms of theoretical approach, this study provides theoretical contribution to the development, design, and marketing of smart phone. The practical contribution of this study is to suggest useful decision alternatives concerned to marketing strategy formulation for acquiring and retaining long-term customers related to smart phone business. Since potential customers are interested in both benefit and sacrifice when evaluating the value of smart phone, marketing managers in smart phone company has to put more effort into creating customer's value of low sacrifice and high benefit so that customers will continuously have higher adoption on smart phone. Especially, this study shows that innovators and early adopters with high level of innovativeness have higher adoption than market followers with low level of innovativeness, in terms of perceived usefulness and perceived cost. To formulate marketing strategy for smart phone diffusion, marketing managers have to pay more attention to identify not only their customers' benefit and sacrifice components but also their customers' lifetime value to adopt smart phone.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.107-126
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• 1991

일부 도시 영세지역 주민의 상병양상과 의료이용형태를 파악하기 위하여 1988년 12월 한달간에 걸쳐 대구시 남구 대명 8동 영세지역 677가구 2,591명과 대조지역 688가구 2,682명의 주민을 대상으로 면접조사를 실시하였다. 두 지역의 연령별 인구 구성은 0-4세, 65세이상의 인구가 영세지역이 높았으며, 성비는 차이가 없었다. 교육정도와 경제수준은 영세지역은 낮았고, 의료보호 대상자는 영세지역이 많았다. 15일간의 급성질환 이환율은 영세지역이 1000명당 57.1로 대조지역의 24.2보다 유의하게 높았다. 두 지역에서 9세 이하 연령에서의 이환율이 높았으나 연령 증가에 따른 이환율의 뚜렷한 증감현상은 보이지 않았다. 질병분류별 급성질환 이환건수는 두 지역 모두에서 남녀 공히 호흡기계 질환이 가장 많았으며, 영세지역의 경우 감염 및 기생충 질환이 두번째로 많아 대조지역과는 다른 양상을 보였다. 급성질환 이환자의 15일간의 평균 이환기간은 영세지역 6.6일, 대조지역 5.4일로 영세지역이 약간 길었다. 급성질환 이환자의 15일간 의료기관 이용은 1차 이용에서는 영세지역의 경우 약국이 58.1% 그리고 대조지역에서는 의원이 36.9%로 가장 많았으며, 2차와 3차 이용에서 영세지역은 약국과 한의원, 대조지역은 병원과 의원이 가장 많았고, 미치료율은 영세지역이 8.8%로 대조지역의 4.6%에 비하여 훨씬 높게 나타났다. 급성질환 이환자의 지역별 의료이용행태에서 1차 이용에 있어서는 동네내 이용이 영세지역 73.6%, 대조지역 64.6%로 가장 많았다. 급성질환 이환자의 의료기관 1차 이용시 병원을 이용하는 이유로 가장 많은 것이 영세지역은 '단골'이었으며, 대조지역은 '가까운 거리'였다. 의원, 보건소 및 약국을 이용하는 이유로 가장 많은 것은 두 지역 모두 '가까운 거리'였다. 1년간 만성질환 이환율은 1000명당 영세지역 83.0, 대조지역 28.0으로 유의한 차이를 보였으며, 연령이 증가함에 따라 이환율도 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 만성질환 이환건수는 영세지역에서는 남자의 경우 신경계 질환이 19.6%, 여자의 경우는 신경계 질환 18.3%, 근골격계 질환이 18.3%로 가장 많았고, 대조지역에서는 남자의 경우 심혈관계 질환이 23.1%, 여자의 겨우 위장관계질환이 27.3%로 가장 많았다. 조사 시점전 1년간 만성질환의 평균 이환기간은 영세지역 9.8개월, 대조지역 10.4개월로 대조지역이 약간 더 길었으며, 평균 활동 제한 기간도 영세지역 1.9개월보다 대조지역 2.1개월로 다소 길었다. 만성질환 이환자의 의료기관 1차 이용에 있어서 영세지역은 약국 이용이 24.2%, 대조지역은 병원외래 이용이 34.7%로 가장 많았으며, 2차, 3차 이용에 있어 영세지역에서는 각 의료기관을 고루 이용하였고, 대조지역에서는 병원 이용이 두드러지게 많았으며, 미치료율은 영세지역과 대조지역이 각각 34.7%, 16.0%로 영세지역이 월등히 높았다. 만성질환자의 지역별 의료이용행태에서 1차 이용에 있어서는 동네내 이용이 영세지역 38.3%, 대조지역 45.3%로 두 지역 모두에서 가장 많았다. 만성질환 이환자의 지역별 의료기관 1차 이용시 병원, 의원, 보건소 및 약국을 이용하는 주된 이유는 '가까운 거리'였으며, 한의원을 이용하는 이유는 '좋은 치료결과'와 치료의 명성'이었다. 이상의 결과로 영세지역의 사회경제적수준이 상병과 의료이용행태에 영향을 미친 것으로 생각된다. 따라서 영세지역 주민을 위한 보다 적극적인 보건의료 서비스의 개발과 합리적이고 적절한 의료이용을 위한 지도 및 계몽과 아울러 사회경제적인 요소들의 개선을 위한 노력을 병행해야 만이 효과적인 보건의료 사업이 될 것으로 생각된다.