Five-Factor Inventory of Intrinsic Motivations to Gameplay (IMG)

Abstract

In this study, we develop and validate Intrinsic Motivations to Gameplay (IMG) inventory. In Study 1, psychometric properties of a preliminary 10-item version of IMG were investigated by employing an online survey data collected among Finnish and Danish population (N = 2,205). In Study 2, a 23-item version of IMG was developed based on further interview data and survey data collected among Canadian population (N = 1,322). The 23-item version of IMG revealed five factors of intrinsic motivations for gameplay: Relatedness, Autonomy, Competence, Immersion, and Fun. In Study 3, a third survey was conducted among Finnish and Japanese participants (N = 2,057) to design a Self-Determination theory (SDT) informed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The CFA validated a 15-item version of IMG inventory, which can be utilized widely in studies on digital gaming and gamification to better understand player preferences.