Affective value of game items: a mood management and selective exposure approach
ISSN: 1066-2243
Article publication date: 28 January 2019
Issue publication date: 9 April 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between game items and mood management to show the affective value of game items. Specifically, the study examines the impact of interaction between two negative mood states (stress vs boredom) and types of game items (functional vs decorative) on the purchasing intention of game items.
Design/methodology/approach
Two experiments were conducted to predict the outcomes of using game items.
Findings
Game users effectively manage their level of arousal and mood valence using game items. The selective exposure theory provides additional understanding of different purchasing behaviors, suggesting that stressed users are more likely to purchase decorative items while bored users purchase functional items to manage their mood.
Research limitations/implications
The study results show the affective role of game items in mood management. While previous studies focused on the cognitive and functional aspects of purchasing game items, this study extends the value of game items as augmented products.
Practical implications
When launching new games, companies should provide game users free game items for mood management. In addition, to increase intervention potential and behavioral affinity, marketers need to develop and launch more game item types.
Originality/value
This study extends the understanding of affective value of game items by applying mood management and selective exposure theories to explain the purchase intention of game items.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOE) (NRF-2017S1A2A2041810).
Citation
Bae, J., Kim, S.J., Kim, K.H. and Koo, D.-M. (2019), "Affective value of game items: a mood management and selective exposure approach", Internet Research, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 315-328. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-12-2017-0477
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited