Unsatisfied needs as a predictor of obsessive passion for videogame play

Although research shows that videogames have a positive impact on the majority of players, concerns remain about the situations in which videogame play becomes disordered and harmful. Drawing on self-determination theory and the dualistic model of passion and based on previous research in non-videogame domains, we sought to explore the extent to which need satisfaction outside of videogames (in general life) as well as need satisfaction from videogames predicted passion orientation. We also aimed to explore the extent to which passion for videogames predicted well-being outcomes. We undertook structural equation modeling with survey data from a sample of 170 participants. We found need satisfaction from videogames predicted both obsessive and harmonious passion, but importantly, that obsessive passion for videogames was predicted by low need satisfaction in general life. In turn, qualified support was found for obsessive passion predicting psychological distress and addiction. Overall, our findings highlight that when problematic gaming occurs it may be useful to focus outside of videogames as the cause of the problem.