The Psychology of In-Game Purchases and Microtransactions

During times of high emotional arousal, our ability to think and make smart decisions becomes compromised. That is why children, teenagers and problem เว็บบาคาร่า are at the highest risk of impulsive spending while playing video games. Those who give in to microtransactions are often ridiculed by other gamers for lacking impulse control and bad money management. But the real question is does excessive game playing cause poor impulse control or do those who spend the most on video games already have issues with it?

The Psychology of In-Game Purchases and Microtransactions

The answer to these questions is complicated. While it is true that the majority of people who spend real money on video games are teenagers and adolescents, our research also shows that adults are just as susceptible to impulsive spending while playing their favorite game. In fact, we found that time spent on the game and frequency of play was not significantly related to how much money a person spends in-game. What did prove to be a predictor of in-game spending was whether or not a person had a mental health issue and their level of cognitive functioning.

The majority of people who spend real money on video gaming do so to get an edge in the game or to progress more quickly. This is known as the pay-to-win controversy and has created an imbalance between paying and non-paying players. Irrational factors such as habit, ostentation, and a desire for status also influence the behavior of buying game items.

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