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Disruptive behaviors in online gaming communities are a growing concern, affecting player experience, retention, and well-being. While previous research has primarily focused on the victims’ experiences, this study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying the attitudinal and behavioral responses to both encountering disruptive behaviors and being flagged for such behaviors, as well as the effects on retention. The study retrieved longitudinal telemetry records of player reporting and gameplay data from the North American server of a popular competitive player vs. player multiplayer online game, coupled with a psychometric survey of a randomly selected sample of 1,217 players. Based on the rejection-disidentification model, this research identifies a shared pathway for both reporting and being reported for disruptive behavior. Our findings support a serial mediation model where both experiences are linked to decreased player engagement. This reduced engagement, reflected in diminished participation in game battles over time, is mediated by perceived discrimination and a reduced sense of community. Moreover, drawing on the concept of procedural justice from the group engagement model, the study delineates unique pathways for the disengagement process for reporters and those reported. Being flagged for disruptive behavior leads to a significant drop in sustained engagement through a decreased sense of community, which is not the case for reporting disruptive behavior. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Although previous studies have recognized the widespread presence of disinformation networks, we know little about the extent to which such networks affect the ability of disinformation spreaders to disseminate falsehoods. In this study, we conceptualize disinformation networks as a form of coordinated strategic communication and apply an innovative algorithm to quantify the networked influence of disinformation spreaders. We found that coordinated networks account for up to 62% of disinformation spreaders’ ability to engage the broader public and 23% of their ability to have their message shared more frequently. These findings suggest that any effective disinformation prevention effort needs to incorporate plans aimed at disrupting networks, rather than solely focusing on notable individuals. In addition, our further analysis reveals that the countries of origin and the type of disinformation spreaders significantly affect their ability to gain networked influence among their peers. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Este estudio combina datos encuestas y comportamientais para examinar las conexiones entre las motivaciones sociorrelacionales, los comportamientos de socialización y el capital social del juego. Las personas que participaron fueron jugadores estadounidenses (N = 1.027; 65 % mujeres) del un juego de fantasía popular entre las jugadoras. En consonancia con la teoría de los roles de género, las jugadoras participaron en mayores comportamientos de socialización. Además, siguiendo la teoría de los usos y gratificaciones y la teoría del capital social, las motivaciones de los sabelotodo y las socializadoras, así como los comportamientos de socialización, están positivamente asociados con el capital social. Confirmando parcialmente los roles de género y capital social, tanto el capital social puente como el vínculo fue mayor entre las jugadoras. Los resultados de este estudio ofrecen un matiz sobre la forma en que ciertos propósitos e incentivos del juego pueden predecir los resultados del capital social.