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Volume 13, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 1757-191X
  • E-ISSN: 1757-1928
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Abstract

() is one of the most popular massively multiplayer online games. Previous studies have found evidence of in-game and offline social support among players; however, the interplay of different types of social support such as informational and emotional support among this cohort has not been examined. This study used a reciprocal social support perspective to explore the system-level relationships among different types of social support in a sample of players (=181). Using network analysis, two major types of social support, informational and emotional, given and received within and offline systems were included as model indicators. Social support networks of guild and non-guild members were compared. Clear separation was found between offline and in-game social support. Informational support played a key role in all networks but differences in the social support networks were identified between guild and non-guild members. These findings indicate dynamics between different types of social support overlooked in previous studies. By revealing such dynamics, network analysis has been shown as a promising tool for evidencing the subtle dynamics between distinct constructs.

© (2021) 2022 The Author(s)
This article is Open Access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The CC BY licence permits commercial and noncommercial reuse. To view a copy of the licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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2021-10-01
2024-04-19
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Network analysis among World of Warcraft players’ social support variables: A two-way approach
Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds 13, 249 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1386/jgvw_00041_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jgvw_00041_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jgvw_00041_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): emotional support; guild membership; informational support; network analysis; reciprocality; social support; World of Warcraft

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