Title: Effects of rapport on gaming disorder in social network games mediated by social presence

Authors: Chang Won Jung

Addresses: College of Social Sciences, School of Communications, Dankook University, 152, Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16890, South Korea

Abstract: This study aims to identify the factors that trigger gaming disorder in social network games (SNG) through a conceptual framework. To achieve this, the study proposes a model using the social-relational constructs of rapport and social presence by analysing data from an online survey of Korean gamers (N = 453). The results revealed that likability and self-disclosure were significantly and positively predictive of rapport, which influenced social presence. Gaming disorder in SNG was found to be significantly and positively influenced by social presence but not by rapport. The results indicate that social presence fully mediated the effect of rapport on gaming disorder in SNG. In an SNG environment, gaming players' personal tendencies are essential to building rapport independently from the individual's gaming-oriented knowledge, skill, experience, or behavioural action. The closer gaming players perceive the social distance between their fellow players, the more likely they are to develop a gaming disorder.

Keywords: social network games; SNG; gaming disorder; rapport; social presence.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2023.132571

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2023 Vol.22 No.2, pp.237 - 258

Received: 20 May 2021
Accepted: 18 Aug 2021
Published online: 30 Jul 2023 *

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