Role-Playing and Reality Shock in the Virtual World.

• Main Authors: Yu-Cheng Tsai, 蔡育政
• Other Authors: Chih-Ching Chiang
• Format: Others
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/80679075578097605856

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 企業管理學系 === 103 === With the popularity and advancement of the Internet and Communication Technologies (ICTs), individuals' opportunities for the use of digital technology increase extensively. Moreover, due to the integrated aspects of the ICTs and online game which attract people of all ages, including presence, immediacy and interactivity, online game has gradually become one of the most popular leisure activity. However, in online games, although players are able to create their own role in virtual world via ICTs, interacting with others and achieving the work or mission which they cannot accomplish in reality, their perceptions after back to reality still become a critical issue, especially in the controversy of how it affects their subjective well-being and alienation. The purpose of this study is to explore the flow of players in online games based on a novel and comprehensive research model considering from individual, social, and technological perspectives. More specifically, this study tries to explore individual needs in utilitarian value, hedonic value, and challenge based on motivation theory; social needs presented by social presence; and technological needs demonstrate d by telepresence. In addition, we also eager to explore players' emotional impact on subjective well-being and the sense of alienation after they return to reality. Data from 297 valid respondents were collected by online survey, and partial least squares (PLS) and hierarchical regression analysis were employed to validate hypotheses. The findings indicate that hedonic value, challenge, social presence, and telepresence are primary antecedents of the flow of online games. However, the impact of utilitarian value on flow is insignificant. Subsequently, when back to reality, most players obtain a sense of well-being, only the rare enlarge a sense of alienation to society. The results suggest that the design of online games should focus on social multimedia display. Ultimately, online games should contain more inspired and positive content, and also considers more about social responsibility in order to diminish the effects of social indifference.