I Play Online Games Because I Believe in a Just Virtual World

Abstract: Understanding the impact of societal perceptions on online gaming is crucial, given the online gaming industry’s remarkable growth and the blurring lines between online and offline market environments. This study aims to explore how perceptions of inequality in the world, viewed through the lens of belief in a just world, affect game consumption and to understand the mediating effect of mindset. The results of two experiments provide adequate evidence that as people’s belief in the existence of a fair world decreases, their inclination to play online games increases. Additionally, this trend intensifies when gamers possess a growth mindset, and life satisfaction shows a moderated mediating effect on the relationship. The results of this study will offer valuable insights to understand the connection between the online and offline worlds.