Purpose

This study aimed to identify subgroups of esports players based on their gaming behavior patterns across game genres and compare self-efficacy, social efficacy, loneliness and three dimensions of quality of life between these subgroups.

Design/methodology/approach

324 participants were recruited from prolific academic to complete an online survey. We employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify subgroups of esports players based on their behavioral patterns across genres. Additionally, a one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was conducted to test the association between cluster memberships and development and well-being outcomes, controlling for age and gender as covariates.

Findings

LPA analysis identified five clusters (two single-genre gamer groups, two multigenre gamer groups and one all-genre gamer group). Univariate analyses indicated the significant effect of the clusters on social efficacy, psychological health and social health. Pairwise comparisons highlighted the salience of the physical enactment-plus-sport simulation genre group in these outcomes.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of the development and well-being benefits experienced by various esports consumers, as well as the role of specific gameplay in facilitating targeted outcomes among these consumer groups.

中文翻译：

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电子竞技促进发展？探索电子竞技运动员的概况及其发展和福祉成果

 目的

本研究旨在根据电子竞技玩家跨游戏类型的游戏行为模式来识别电子竞技玩家的亚组，并比较这些亚组之间的自我效能、社交效能、孤独感和生活质量的三个维度。

设计/方法论/途径

从多产的学术界招募了 324 名参与者来完成一项在线调查。我们采用潜在档案分析（LPA）根据电子竞技运动员跨流派的行为模式来识别电子竞技运动员的子群体。此外，还进行了单向多元协方差分析（MANCOVA），以测试集群成员资格与发展和福祉结果之间的关联，并控制年龄和性别作为协变量。

 发现

LPA 分析确定了五个集群（两个单类型玩家群体、两个多类型玩家群体和一个全类型玩家群体）。单变量分析表明集群对社会效能、心理健康和社会健康有显着影响。成对比较凸显了物理表演加运动模拟类型组在这些结果中的显着性。

 原创性/价值

这项研究有助于了解各种电子竞技消费者所经历的发展和福祉益处，以及特定游戏玩法在促进这些消费者群体实现目标结果方面的作用。