Is the psychology the same as in casino games? where the person is addicted because winning is so unpredictable?Are RPG games addictive by Gestalt theory, where players mind likes to see things organized and being whole and completed as opposed to being fractioned and incomplete?
What is the psychology behind addictive video games?
video games
Is the psychology the same as in casino games? where the person is  addicted because winning is so unpredictable?Are RPG games addictive by Gestalt theory, where players mind likes to  see things organized and being whole and completed as opposed to being  fractioned and incomplete?I think that both of these factors play a role. As people react to media much like reality (1), a video game is really just like a particular social situation that people are placed within.In any situation where individuals get rewards, unpredictable rewards are likely to be the most effective (2).Likewise many people express a desire for closure (3), which In addition to these factors video games also provide several other rewards that can foster addiction, such as (see 4):StatusSocial interactionSocial acceptanceEscape from negative realities (e.g., day to day life)A sense of progressionAccumulation of resourcesChallenges that they can overcomeLearning experiencesIt is worth pointing out that one of the main reasons that video games may be so addictive is the fact that real life may be so isolating and unrewarding for people (5).References:1 Reeves, B. and C. Nass (1996). The media equation: how people treat computers, television, and the new media like real people and places. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge University Press.2 Berns, G. S., et al. (2001). Predictability modulates human brain response to reward. The Journal of Neuroscience 21(8): 2793-2798.3 Webster, Donna M., and Arie W. Kruglanski. Individual differences in need for cognitive closure. Journal of personality and social psychology 67.6 (1994): 1049.4 Werbach, K. and D. Hunter (2012). For the win: How game thinking can revolutionize your business, Wharton Digital Press.5 Alexander, B. K. Healing Addiction Through Community: A Much Longer Road Than it Seems?.