D3.3 : Game Experience Questionnaire: development of a self-report measure to assess the psychological impact of digital games

The current report describes the development of the Game Experience Questionnaire, a self-report measure that aims to comprehensively and reliably characterise the multifaceted experience of playing digital games. Its development and evaluation precede the testing of the other measures of game experience targeted in the FUGA project, as it will be employed for evaluating validity of these measures. The theoretical work performed by all partners in the FUGA project (Deliverable 2.1) provided a firm and broad basis for the development of the scale. In addition, relevant scientific literature was reviewed for any conceptualisations that might complement this work and for existing scales that might serve as a starting point or inspiration for item formulation. Furthermore, empirical data was gathered during focus group interviews with different types of gamers. These interviews served as a test for comparing scientific conceptualisations and lay descriptions of first-hand experiences. They were also used as a reference guide on choice of wording in the item formulation phase. The Game experience questionnaire is developed with a modular structure, consisting of: 1. The core questionnaire (GEQ). This is the heart of the Game Experience Questionnaire, probing multiple components of players’experience while gaming. 2. The post-game questionnaire (PGQ), probing gamers’experience after the gaming session and any after effects. 3. The social presence module (SPGQ), probing gamers’experience of and involvement with their co-player(s). These three lists are to be administered after the gaming session has ended. Additionally, a short in- game version of the GEQ was developed, the iGEQ, for probing in-game experience multiple times during a gaming session. A large scale survey was performed to test the long list (>100 items) and explore the factor structure of the questionnaires. Factor analyses provided a structure for the scale that made good sense in the light of theoretical considerations, with subscales that were all easy to interpret. Subsequent reliability tests resulted in the construction of robust subscales with satisfactory to high internal consistencies. Additional explorations were subsequently performed to check sensitivity and validity of the developed measures. Statistical analyses firmly demonstrated that the GEQ and additional modules were sensitive enough to pick up differences between gamers, game types, play characteristics, and social context of play. The findings already provide new insights to scholars in the field. The Game Experience Questionnaire is now ready to be translated and used in FUGA experimentations.