Motivational differences for physical activity and gaming: Do the perceived motives of parents differ from those of their children?

Abstract

The time children spend playing digital games has seen a notable increase. The suggested motives for children to engage in gaming are predominantly competition, social interaction, and achievement (Martucci et al., 2023). Concurrently, there has been a concerning decline in physical activity (PA) among children. This shift suggests a potential conflict in leisure-time activities for children (Salmensalo et al., 2024). The motivations driving children towards PA include well-being, enjoyment, social interaction, and seeking social support (Pedersen et al., 2021). Interestingly, studies have identified a positive relationship between parent and child PA levels. Similarly, parental involvement in gaming seems to have a beneficial impact on children’s gaming habits. However, to date, no study has directly compared the actual motives for gaming and PA of children. Moreover, the perceived motives of their parents are under-researched. The aim of the study was to compare the motives for gaming and PA of children. Additionally, the parents’ perceptions of what motivates their children to engage in both activities were considered.

Children (N = 73; 15.5 ± 5.9 y; 26% female) and parents (N = 50; 45.1 ± 7.1 y; 56% female) were asked to answer a questionnaire during the Frühjahrsmesse in Innsbruck. Questions were based on the “Videogaming Motives Questionnaire” (López-Fernández et al., 2020) and were adapted in terms of PA and the perceived motives of the parents. Motives recreation, social interaction, coping, competition and skill were considered. Order of the questions as well as of the sub-items was randomized. Item reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha and scales were calculated using the mean of the sub-items based on a 5-point Likert Scale. Since the data were not normally distributed, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare the motives of the children with the perceived motives of the parents. Differences within the groups between gaming and PA were tested using Friedman.

Motive comparison between groups showed significant differences regarding recreation in Gaming H = 6,443, p = 0.011, r = 0.61, with children (4.28 ± 0.69) identifying this motive more strongly than parents (4.03 ± 0.67). Skill H = 4.704, p = 0.030, r = 0.44, presented significant differences, showing children (3.51 ± 0.99) to find this motive more relevant than parents (3.17 ± 0.78). A trend was observed in social interaction in PA H = 3.673, p = 0.055, r = 0.34. Parents (3.72 ± 0.92) perceived this motive to be more relevant than children (3.39 ± 0.97). When analysing differences between the motives within the groups, no significant results were observed.

Children perceive gaming as more recreational and skill-educating than their parents, potentially due to changing everyday life. This shift towards educational gaming might have positive cognitive benefits. Additionally, gaming skills may better align with today’s digital requirements (Nordlund et al., 2019). However, no significant motive variances between gaming and PA exist. This disparity underscores potential conflicts in children’s leisure activities.

References

López-Fernández, F. J., Mezquita, L., Griffiths, M. D., Ortet, G., & Ibáñez, M. I. (2020). The development and validation of the Videogaming Motives Questionnaire (VMQ). PLoS ONE, 15(10), Article e0240726. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240726

Martucci, A., Gursesli, M. C., Duradoni, M., & Guazzini, A. (2023). Overviewing gaming motivation and its associated psychological and sociodemographic variables: A PRISMA systematic review. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2023, Article 5640258. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5640258

Nordlund, A., Sekki, S., Korvela, P., & Silvonen, J. (2019). The changing everyday life of families and young people. In M. Toivonen & E. Saari (Eds.), Human-centered digitalization and services (pp. 79–100). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7725-9_5

Pedersen, M. R. L., Hansen, A. F., & Elmose-Østerlund, K. (2021). Motives and barriers related to physical activity and sport across social backgrounds: Implications for health promotion. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), Article 5810. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115810

Salmensalo, M., Ruotsalainen, H., Hylkilä, K., Kääriäinen, M., Konttila, J., Männistö, M., & Männikkö, N. (2024). Associations between digital gaming behavior and physical activity among Finnish vocational students. Journal of Public Health, 32, 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01788-y