450 PRZYBYLSKL DECL RIGBY.AND RYAN kecpledi2ofontokioleckofagercsie To determine the magnitude and signif Results eftect linking expen and mastery-of Manipulation check.To ensure that we successfully manip player e.B(107) .10.p >30 68 29.p01,R -34,p001,in ndition codins dow violence AB)8= 111081=-305n<01oee an sutsdcrmnonstratcdrthnithG 19.008 reatened.and the manipulation of content did not influence ed satisfaction o test t ite motivation measur 6 00t feelings,we evaluated thre odels and mas stery-of-controls,B(107)-05. 50 and playe B(10S) den 15 ange in aggres B(10s B(108 04,a (18 31.P<001.for d -1.ves +1).provided and satisfaction mg-rer that -of-controls would s rve to would be related to less game motivation.Re s de and playe facti usly onto m calculated the magnitude and igificance of the indirec p>70.thus replicating findings in previous studies. ontrols.B= Study 6 terv-of- dy 6 was designed t binhercvalh e the robustness of th maive manipulatio actio odel of the t This supplen game motivation.B(108)=57.001.R Studies are tha sment additional reg we nt e igh +1).B(107 03.P=.74.We also eva behavior as well as increased levels of aggressive feelings Method ted tha eelings and higher levels of plaver motivation. s that was robust across different levels of violent game -hr We then pro to co eed satisf d mediate the ons from both amount of measure of game motivation was combined with the self-report measure of game enjoyment (r
.44) after each was standardized. Results Manipulation check. To ensure that we successfully manip￾ulated the violent content of the computer game without affecting the motivational aspects of play, we regressed perceived threat (same measure used in Study 2), (108)
.29, p .01, R2
.07, and mastery-of-controls, (108)
.05, p  .50, onto the game condition coding (low violence
1, high violence
1). Results demonstrated that the manipulation of violent content was successful: participants facing high violence challenges felt more threatened, and the manipulation of content did not influence players’ perceptions of mastery. Player experience. To test the prediction that the amount of players’ experience with the game would be associated with higher levels of mastery-of-controls, player competence-need satisfac￾tion, and game motivation, as well as with lower levels of aggres￾sive feelings, we evaluated three regression models. Results de￾rived by regressing mastery-of-controls, (108)
.27, p .01, R2
.07, player competence, (108)
.38, p .001, R2
.15, change in aggression, (108)
.20, p .05, R2
.04, and game motivation (108)
.21, p .05, R2
.05, onto the amount of player experience (coded: no
1, yes
1), provided support for the first hypothesis. Player experience and competence-need satisfaction. To evaluate our hypothesis that mastery-of-controls would serve to mediate the relations between player experience and player competence-need satisfaction, we regressed player competence satisfaction simultaneously onto mastery-of-controls, (107)
.57, p .001, and player experience, (107)
.23, p
.01. We then calculated the magnitude and significance of the indirect effect relating these factors. Results demonstrated a significant indirect path (A
B), linking amount of experience to player com￾petence satisfaction through its effect on mastery-of-controls, 
.17, t(108)
2.59, p .001. Player experience effects mediated by competence-need satisfaction. We next did a series of analyses to evaluate the links between overall player experience and both change in ag￾gression and game motivation as mediated by competence-need satisfaction. First, in two regression models, we regressed change in aggressive feelings, (108)
.30, p .001, R2
.09, and player game motivation, (108)
.57, p .001, R2
.33, onto player experience. To ensure that the competence-impedance by lack of experience was independent of violent game content, we tested two additional regression models. We regressed change in aggression scores simultaneously onto player experience, (107)
.30, p .001, and the game content coding (low violence
1, high violence
1), (107)
.03, p
.74. We also evaluated game content as a moderator of the link from player experience to aggression, but the interaction term was not significant, (106)
.06, p
.56. Taken together, these sets of analyses indicated that player experience was associated with lower levels of aggressive feelings and higher levels of player motivation—a pattern of relations that was robust across different levels of violent game content. We then proceeded to evaluate the prediction that competence￾need satisfaction would mediate the relations from both amount of player experience and mastery-of-controls to levels of aggressive feelings and player motivation. Aggressive feelings. To determine the magnitude and signif￾icance of the indirect effect linking experience and mastery-of￾controls to aggressive feelings, we regressed change in aggression simultaneously onto player experience, (107)
.10, p  .30, and player competence satisfaction, (107)
.26, p .01, in one model, and mastery-of-controls, (107)
.06, p  .50, and player competence satisfaction, (107)
.34, p .001, in a second model. Results demonstrated two significant indirect paths (A
B), 
.11, t(108)
3.05, p .01, for experience, and 
.19, t(108)
0.43, p .001, for mastery; linking these factors to shifts in aggressive feelings by way of their influence on player competence-need satisfaction. Player motivation. To test the pattern and significance of the indirect effect linking player experience and mastery-of-controls to player motivation, we regressed the composite motivation measure simultaneously onto player experience, (107)
.03, p  .50, and player competence satisfaction, (107)
.46, p .001, in one model, and mastery-of-controls, (107)
.05, p  .50, and player competence satisfaction, (107)
.45, p .001, in a second. Results demonstrated two significant indirect paths, 
.17, t(108)
3.31, p .001, for experience, and 
.28, t(108)
5.18, p .001, for mastery, linking these factors to game moti￾vation by their effect on player competence-need satisfaction. Gaming-related aggression and player motivation. The fi￾nal hypothesis was that increased levels of aggressive feelings would be related to less game motivation. Results derived from regressing player motivation, (108)
.22, p .01, R2
.05, onto change in aggression supported this prediction. We also tested for a direct effect, linking violent game content to players’ aggres￾sive feelings but did not find a significant effect, (108)
.03, p  .70, thus replicating findings in previous studies. Study 6 Study 6 was designed to further evaluate the robustness of the need-thwarting hypothesis by advancing the present research in two ways. First, we implemented an alternative manipulation to thwart players’ felt competence in which we altered the algorithms that shaped the players’ degree of challenge, making it overly difficult in one of the two conditions. This supplements the ma￾nipulation of different games (Study 1), different control interfaces (Studies 3 and 4), and different levels of experience (Study 5). Second, in Study 6, we utilized a behavioral assessment as the primary outcome, measuring the assignment of physical pain to another participant as an index of aggression. In this study we evaluated a single hypothesis: that high game difficulty intended to thwart competence would relate to higher levels of aggressive behavior as well as increased levels of aggressive feelings. Method Participants and procedure. Forty-seven undergraduates (21 males, Mage
20.31 years, SD
3.92) received £3.00 compen￾sation in exchange for participating in this 0.5-hr experiment. Participants were informed that the purpose of the study was to understand how physiological experiences relate to computer game engagement and emotion. Participants (a) filled out a demo￾This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly. 450 PRZYBYLSKI, DECI, RIGBY, AND RYAN