Professional Gamers: A Phenomenological Investigation of Motivation, Stress and Social Identity

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Gaming is not simply a competitive activity, but a psychological experience which motivation, stress, and social identity play a role in it. Therefore, investigating and researching about the characteristics of professional gamers helps to better understand this group. As a result, the aim of this research was investigate the phenomenology of motivation, stress, and social identity of professional gamers.

Methodology: This study was a descriptive from type of review. The research population was all research related to the research field in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar databases between 2020 to 2025 years. Number of 52 articles after reviewing the inclusion criteria were selected as a sample. The data of this study were collected by taking notes from the articles and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings: The results of the present research indicated that the motivation of professional gamers included intrinsic motivation (desire to mastery, challenge, and enjoyment from game) and extrinsic motivation (fame, income, and social acceptance), the stress of professional gamers included health threatening (competitive stress, media pressure, long-term exercises, and performance anxiety) and health protective (mindfulness, social support, and resilience), and the social identity of professional gamers included belonging to teams, virtual communities, and media interactions.

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, professional gamers had characteristics in terms of motivation, stress, and social identity that their interaction shows a dynamic pattern of professional growth and psychological adjustment. As a result, to improve the characteristics of professional gamers, it is necessary to design educational, supportive, and psychological intervention programs based on the combination of motivation, stress, and social identity characteristics.