From clicks to constructs: Valorant player profiles and the link to motivation, experience, and wellbeing

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dc.contributor.authorDuco, Jim
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-16T18:18:56Z
dc.date.available2026-04-16T18:18:56Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractUnpacking the complex relationship between players' in-game behaviours and psychosocial factors is necessary to differentiate when gaming leads to benefits versus harms, which can inform public policy and research. This study explores how different patterns of play in Valorant relate to player motivation, experience, and wellbeing. Using publicly available game data from 1,974 players and self-reported psychosocial survey data from a subset of 160 participants, we apply a clustering approach to identify distinct player profiles. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) reduces behavioural variables into 14 latent factors, which are then analyzed using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to reveal eight gameplay profiles characterized by differences in playstyle, performance, and social behaviour. The profiles are subsequently linked to measures of psychological needs, motivation, wellbeing, and potential problematic gaming indicators. Results suggest that gaming outcomes are shaped more by how, when, why, and with whom individuals play rather than by the game itself. The findings highlight the diversity of player experiences and demonstrate how behavioural clustering can generate insights about gaming and wellbeing without requiring fully labelled datasets, providing a foundation for future causal and longitudinal research.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelUndergraduate
dc.description.sponsorshipJamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/23590
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Victoria
dc.subjectgaming
dc.subjectwellbeing
dc.subjectmotivation
dc.subjectclustering
dc.subjectLPA
dc.subjectplayer-profiles
dc.subjectJamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Computer Science
dc.titleFrom clicks to constructs: Valorant player profiles and the link to motivation, experience, and wellbeing
dc.typePoster

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