Abstract
Playing MUDs (Multi-User Dimensions or Multi-User Dungeons, or Multi-User Domain), text-only online gaming environments, may initiate flow experience. Online survey research was administered within the sample population of 13,662 MUD players from the United States of America, using the specially designed questionnaire with four categories of questions related to: flow experience, experience in playing MUDs, interaction patterns, and demographics. Replies of respondents (N = 287) fit a five factor model. All the correlations between the factors are significant (p < 0.05). Since players experienced flow while MUDding, it was proposed that flow is one of the sources of the long-time attractiveness for MUD players.
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartle, R.: Hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades: Players who suit MUDs. Journal of MUD Research 1(1) (1996), Retrieved from http://www.brandeis.edu/pubs/jove/HTML/v1/bartle.html
Chen, H., Wigand, R.T., Nilan, M.S.: Exploring web users’ optimal flow experiences. Information Technology & People 13(4), 263–281 (2000)
Choi, D., Kim, J.: Why people continue to play online games: In search of critical design factors to increase customer loyalty to online contents. CyberPsychology & Behavior 7(1), 11–24 (2004)
Csikszentmihalyi, M.: Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper and Row, New York (1990)
Csikszentmihalyi, M.: Beyond boredom and anxiety: Experiencing flow in work and play. Jossey-Bass, San-Francisco (Original work published 1975) (2000)
Curtis, P.: Excerpt from mudding: Social phenomena in text-based virtual realities. In: Stefik, M. (ed.) Internet Dreams: Archetypes, Myths and Metaphors, Cambridge, MA
Joinson, A.N.: Understanding the psychology of internet behaviour: Virtual worlds, real lives. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, Hampshire, UK and New York, NY (2003)
Lee, K.M.: MUD and self efficacy. Education Media International 37(3), 177–183 (2000)
McKenna, K., Lee, S.: A love affair with MUDs: Flow and social interaction in multi-user dungeons (1995), Retrieved from http://www.fragment.nl/mirror/various/McKenna_et_al.nd.A_love_affair_with_muds.html
Novak, T.P., Hoffman, D.L.P.: Measuring the flow experience among web users. Paper Presented at Interval Research Corporation (July 3, 1997) Retrieved from http://sloan.ucr.edu/blog/uploads/papers/
Reinberg, F., Engeser, S., Vollmeyer, R.: Measuring components of flow: The flow-shot-scale. Paper presented at the 1st International Positive Psychology Summit, Washington, DC (2002)
Salvay, Y.: Multi-User Domains: Sociodramatic Conflict Resolution (2002), Retrieved from http://www.geocities.com/ysalvay/sociodramaticmuds.html
Sempsey, J.J.: Psyber psychology: A literary review pertaining to the psycho/social aspects of multi-user dimensions in cyberspace. Journal of MUD Research, vol. 2(1) (1997), Retrieved from http://www.brandeis.edu/pubs/jove/HTML/v2/sempsey.html
Turkle, S.: Life on the screen: Identity in the age of the Internet. Touchstone Book, New York (1997)
Utz, S.: Social information processing in MUDs: The development of friendships in virtual worlds. Journal of Online Behavior 1(1) (2000), Retrieved from http://www.behavior.net/JOB/v1n1/utz.html
Voiskounsky, A.E., Mitina, O.V., Avetisova, A.A.: Communicative patterns and flow experience of MUD players. International Journal of Advanced Media and Communication 1(1), 5–25 (2005)
Voiskounsky, A.E., Mitina, O.V., Avetisova, A.A.: Flow experience and interaction: Investigation of Francophone online gamers. In: Sudweeds, F., Hrachovec, H., Ess, C. (eds.) Proceedings of Cultural Attitudes Towards Communication and Technology 2006, pp. 385–398. Tartu, Estonia (2006)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Faiola, A., Voiskounsky, A.E. (2007). Flow Experience of MUD Players: Investigating Multi-User Dimension Gamers from the USA. In: Schuler, D. (eds) Online Communities and Social Computing. OCSC 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4564. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73257-0_36
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73257-0_36
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-73256-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-73257-0
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)