Entrapment in games: Reframing persistence in the I-PACE framework.

Abstract

This paper introduces entrapment as a socio-cognitive pathway of gaming persistence that complements the gratification-compensation sequence in the I-PACE framework. Drawing on escalation-of-commitment theory, identity maintenance, sunk-cost reasoning, and social obligations, we argue that contemporary game architectures, especially gacha systems, transform cumulative investments of time, money, and identity into barriers against disengagement. Empirical signals, including sunk-cost effects, gaming-contingent self-worth, loss aversion, and amotivation, indicate that after initial gratification, persistence may become decoupled from enjoyment and remain both measurable and clinically relevant. Entrapment is not a universal endpoint but an optional trajectory, clarifying why some players continue "without joy" and underscoring implications for assessment, intervention, and responsible design.