STRUCTURE OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GAMING SKILLS IN DIGITAL GAME-BASED ACTIVITY AND ADOLESCENT MOTIVATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2522-1795.2026.20.1.26Keywords:
motives, digital gaming activity, health, gender characteristics, adolescentsAbstract
Introduction. Digital gaming is one of the leading forms of leisure activity among adolescents and is considered a multidimensional psychosocial phenomenon that affects cognitive processes, behavioral regulation, and health. Contemporary research confirms the significance of motivational mechanisms in shaping gaming behavior, as well as the existence of gender differences in gaming engagement. Furthermore, the structural organization of the relationships between gaming skills and motivational priorities among adolescents remains understudied. The aim is to identify gender differences in adolescents' self-reported gaming skills and to establish the characteristics of the relationships between gaming skills and motivational priorities in the context of digital gaming.
Materials and methods. The study involved 156 adolescents aged 15.9 ± 1.4 years (69.2% boys, 30.8% girls). A standardized questionnaire was used to assess gaming skills (game mechanics, tactical thinking, concentration, self-control, communication skills) and motives for gaming (satisfaction, skill development, recognition, etc.). The reliability of the instrument was confirmed by Cronbach's coefficient (α = 0.959). Mann–Whitney U test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (p < 0.05) were used for statistical analysis.
Results. Statistically significant gender differences in the self-reported gaming skills were found: boys rate their own competencies higher on all indicators (p < 0.05), with the greatest differences in “Game Mechanics” and “Concentration.”
In addition, girls showed stronger and more systematic correlations between motivational characteristics and gaming skills (ρ = 0.282–0.753), indicating a more integrated motivational-competence structure. In both groups, the leading motive is “enjoyment of the game,” which is most closely related to concentration and self-control.
Conclusions. Different models of psychological regulation of digital gaming in adolescents were identified depending on gender: in boys, higher self-esteem of competence dominates, while in girls, a more coordinated system of interrelationships between motivation and skills dominates. The results obtained expand our understanding of the structure of digital gaming and can be used in the development of gender-sensitive psychological support programs and the development of a culture of safe gaming.
References
1. Andrieieva, O., & Hakman, A. (2018). Health Status and Morbidity of Children 11-14 Years of Age During School. Journal of Physical Education and Sport. 18. P. 1231-1236. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2018.s2183
2. Andrieieva, O., Blystiv, T., & Byshevets, N. (2022). Assessment of the impact of outdoor activities at leisure facilities on the physical activity of 15-year-old schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 22(8), 1839-1847. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2022.08231
3. Choi, E., Shin, S. H., Ryu, J. K., Jung, K. I., Kim, S. Y., & Park, M. H. (2020). Commercial video games and cognitive functions: video game genres and modulating factors of cognitive enhancement. Behavioral and brain functions: BBF, 16(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12993-020-0165-z
4. Chow, C.H., Zhang, H. & Cheng, C. (2025). Cross-Lagged Analysis of Gender Differences in the Motivation-Cognition-Behavior Model of Gaming Disorder in Primary School Students. Int J Ment Health Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-025-01443-z
5. Danković, G., Lazić, A., Andrieieva, O. et al. (2025). Effects of high-intensity interval training on physical fitness and body composition in recreationally active females: a systematic review and meta- analysis. Sci Rep. 15, 33982. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11809-x
6. Gisbert-Pérez, J., Martí-Vilar, M., Merino-Soto, C., Chans, G. M. & Badenes-Ribera, L. (2024). Gender differences in internet gaming among university students: a discriminant analysis. Front. Psychol. 15. 1412739. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1412739
7. Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. The American psychologist, 69(1), 66–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034857
8. Hakman, A., Andrieieva, O., Bezverkhnia, H., et al. (2020). Dynamics of the physical fitness and circumference sizes of body parts as a motivation for self-improvement and self-control in students. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 20(1), 116–122. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2020.01015
9. Kardefelt-Winther D. (2017). Conceptualizing Internet use disorders: Addiction or coping process?. Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 71(7), 459–466. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.12413
10. Kourtesis P., Amir R., Linnell J., Argelaguet F., & MacPherson S. E. (2023). Cybersickness, Cognition, & Motor Skills: The Effects of Music, Gender, and Gaming Experience, in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. 29. 5. 2326-2336. https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2023.3247062
11. Liao Z, Le J, Chen X, Tang Y, Shen H., & Huang Q. (2025). Gender differences in problematic gaming among Chinese adolescents and young adults. BMC Psychiatry. 25(1):522. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06994-y.
12. Medina-Rodríguez, J. C. (2025). The dual influence of video games on adolescents’ executive functions. Cureus. 17(1), e76830. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.76830
13. Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2019). Investigating the motivational and psychosocial dynamics of dysregulated gaming: Evidence from a preregistered cohort study. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(6), 1257–1265. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702619859341
14. Przybylski, A. K., Rigby, C. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2010). A motivational model of video game engagement. Review of General Psychology. 14(2), 154–166. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019440
15. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2006). Self-Regulation and the Problem of Human Autonomy: Does Psychology Need Choice, Self-Determination, and Will? Journal of Personality, 74(6), 1557–1585. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00420.x
16. Rodriguez-Barcenilla, E., & Ortega-Mohedano, F. (2022). Moving towards the End of Gender Differences in the Habits of Use and Consumption of Mobile Video Games. Information, 13(8), 380. https://doi.org/10.3390/info13080380
17. Stojanović S, Andrieieva O, Trajković N. (2024). Associations between number of steps and health outcomes in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 24(1):3310. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20835-9
18. Toda, A. M., Oliveira, W., Shi, L. et al. Planning Gamification Strategies based on User Characteristics …: A Gender-based Case Study. arXiv:1905.09146 [cs.CY] https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1905.09146
19. Veltri N. F. (2014). Gender Differences in Online Gaming: A Literature Review» Twentieth Americas Conference on Information Systems, Savannah,. З. 1–11.
20. Yarmolenko, M., Shynkaruk, O., Shapar, K., & Kovalchuk, N. (2023). Features of the formation of teenager motivation for playing eSports. Scientific Journal of the Dragomanov Ukrainian State University. Series 15, (5(164), 174-177. https://doi.org/10.31392/NPU-nc.series15.2023.5(164).39
