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The Cost of War: Attachment and MMO Gamers' Online and Offline Relationships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2018

Alicia Limke-McLean Open the ORCID record for Alicia Limke-McLean [Opens in a new window]
Alicia Limke-McLean*
Affiliation:
Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, Oklahoma, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Alicia Limke-McLean, Department of Psychology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK 73034, USA. Email: alimke@uco.edu
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Abstract

This study examined attachment styles, online behaviours, offline relationships, and sexuality of individuals engaged in a popular massive multiplayer online (MMO) game (Game of War: Fire Age). 178 players currently involved in romantic relationships completed surveys for in-game currency. Time spent gaming predicted less time with others, less relationship satisfaction, more relationship uncertainty, more sexual anxiety, and more external sexual control. However, attachment avoidance partially mediated the relationship between time spent online gaming and time spent with immediate family and friends; relationship satisfaction; self-partner, and relationship uncertainty; sexual anxiety; and external sexual control.

Keywords

attachmentrelationship uncertaintyonline gamingGame of WarMMO
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 9 , 2018 , e14
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2018 

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