Investigating Psychological Disparities Across Gamers: A Genre-Based Study

Objective: While video games have become a widespread form of entertainment, the exploration of their relationship with psychological factors remains relatively limited. The primary aim of this study was to examine potential disparities in levels of everyday stress, perceived stress, and positive mental health among individuals involved in three distinct video game genres: horror, competitive shooters, and sandbox. Although the study maintains an exploratory nature, we anticipated the emergence of significant differences between these genres. Method: A total of 54 participants were recruited, queried about their primarily favored video game genre, and then asked to complete an online survey consisting of three questionnaires, each corresponding to one of the dependent variables. Results: Three 1 × 3 between-subject analyses of variance indicated that levels of everyday and perceived stress were notably higher in the competitive shooter gamers, with sandbox gamers having the lowest levels. No significant differences were observed for levels of positive mental health. Conclusions: It is possible that competitive shooters either elevate everyday and perceived stress levels in individuals, or that already-stressed gamers are drawn to this genre. Finally, the absence of significant variations in levels of positive mental health across genres suggests that individuals may simply choose to play whichever game aligns with their personal sources of enjoyment.