Cheng Yung-Hsun
Department of Product and Game Design, Chienkuo Technology University, Changhua City, Taiwan.
Front Behav Neurosci. 2025 May 22;19:1561548. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1561548. eCollection 2025.
The rapid growth of online gaming has sparked interest in its potential effects on cognitive abilities such as creativity. Previous research indicates that interactive digital environments may enhance creative skills through immersive gameplay. However, the role of imagination as a mediator in the relationship between gaming and creativity remains under-explored. This study investigates how playing online games influences creativity and examines the mediating effect of imagination in this relationship.
The primary objectives of this research are to: (1) evaluate the direct impact of online gaming: investigate how participation in online gaming affects players' imagination and creativity levels, measuring specific outcomes through qualitative and quantitative assessments. (2) explore the mediating role of imagination: analyze the relationship between players' motivation for gaming and their creative output, focusing on how imagination serves as a mediating factor in this dynamic. (3) differentiate game types and their effects: assess how various genres of online games, specifically role-playing games (RPGs) and sandbox games, uniquely influence players' imaginative capabilities and creative expressions, using comparative analyses to highlight differences in outcomes.
This study employed a mixed-method approach, combining survey questionnaires and experimental procedures. The survey collected responses from 202 participants, gathering insights into their gaming behaviors, motivations, and perceived creativity. For the experimental segment, 12 participants (6 males, 6 females) were divided equally into experimental and control groups. Participants were assigned to either play (a RPG) or (a sandbox game) to observe differences in creativity and imagination lasting for four weeks. Data were analyzed to determine the relationship between gaming motivation, imagination, and creativity. However, the goal of this work was to investigate whether exclusive play of either Roblox or Genshin Impact over a four-week period would differentially influence player motivation, creativity, and imagination.
Results from the survey and experimental data indicate a significant relationship between players' motivation and post-game imagination. Notably, gaming motivation also had a significant impact on creativity, particularly in and . The findings confirmed that imagination acts as a mediator between motivation and creativity, suggesting that players who are more motivated display enhanced creative abilities, partly due to increased imaginative engagement during gameplay.
The study concludes that online gaming can positively influence creativity, especially when imagination mediates the relationship between gaming motivation and creative outcomes. These results underscore the potential cognitive benefits of online games, particularly for players with high levels of motivation, and highlight the distinct roles of RPGs and sandbox games in fostering creativity.
网络游戏的迅速发展引发了人们对其对诸如创造力等认知能力潜在影响的兴趣。先前的研究表明，交互式数字环境可能通过沉浸式游戏玩法提高创造性技能。然而，想象力在游戏与创造力关系中作为中介的作用仍未得到充分探索。本研究调查玩网络游戏如何影响创造力，并检验想象力在这种关系中的中介作用。
本研究的主要目标是：（1）评估网络游戏的直接影响：调查参与网络游戏如何影响玩家的想象力和创造力水平，通过定性和定量评估来衡量具体结果。（2）探索想象力的中介作用：分析玩家的游戏动机与其创造性产出之间的关系，重点关注想象力在这一动态过程中如何作为中介因素。（3）区分游戏类型及其影响：评估各种类型的网络游戏，特别是角色扮演游戏（RPG）和沙盒游戏，如何独特地影响玩家的想象能力和创造性表达，使用比较分析来突出结果差异。
本研究采用混合方法，结合调查问卷和实验程序。该调查收集了202名参与者的回复，深入了解他们的游戏行为、动机和感知到的创造力。在实验部分，12名参与者（6名男性，6名女性）被平均分为实验组和对照组。参与者被分配去玩（一款RPG）或（一款沙盒游戏），以观察持续四周的创造力和想象力差异。对数据进行分析，以确定游戏动机、想象力和创造力之间的关系。然而，这项工作的目标是调查在四周时间内专门玩《罗布乐思》或《原神》是否会对玩家动机、创造力和想象力产生不同影响。
调查和实验数据的结果表明，玩家的动机与游戏后的想象力之间存在显著关系。值得注意的是，游戏动机对创造力也有显著影响，特别是在和中。研究结果证实，想象力在动机和创造力之间起到中介作用，这表明动机更强的玩家表现出更高的创造性能力，部分原因是游戏过程中想象力参与度增加。
该研究得出结论，网络游戏可以对创造力产生积极影响，特别是当想象力在游戏动机和创造性结果之间起中介作用时。这些结果强调了网络游戏潜在的认知益处，特别是对于动机水平高的玩家，并突出了RPG和沙盒游戏在培养创造力方面的不同作用。
