A social cognitive approach to correlates of playing different genres of video games, self-esteem and self-efficacy among university students

Research concerning the effects of video game playing and consequent mental states has generated mixed results in the academic literature. The self-esteem and self-efficacy of video game players are not well documented in the social science literature. The gap in the scholarly literature concerning the effects that playing different types of video games may have on video game players suggests that empirical research was needed to determine which types of video games, if any, have effects on an individual's self-esteem and self-efficacy. The purpose of this research was to examine correlations between video game playing, self-esteem and self-efficacy measures among university students. The research questions asked if there are statistically significant correlations between playing different genres of video games and reported levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy measures among university students. Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. According to Social Cognitive Theory, video game playing should exert some influence on an individual's level of self-esteem and self-efficacy. This study utilized a quantitative correlational research design to investigate relationships of self-reported levels of self esteem, self-efficacy and video game experiences. Statistically significant correlations were found for both self-esteem and self-efficacy measures suggesting that specific genres of video games may influence self-esteem and self-efficacy to varying degrees. Future studies should focus on analyzing the parameters of both positive and negative effects of video games on the individual. Specifically, further research is needed to ascertain the degree to which specific genres of video games affect the self-esteem and self-efficacy of a video game player and the consequences of those influences on both cognition and behavior.