Measuring Interactivity in Video Games

Video games are a popular form of new media, and their use is impacting multiple fields of study within the communication discipline. For instance, research programs in mass communication, health, instructional, feminist/gender, interpersonal, and intercultural communication have all examined video games. Interactivity is the hallmark of video games and consequently is a common concept in the video game literature. While video game interactivity (VGI) is still an under-specified concept, previous research suggests that interactivity has the potential to moderate both positive and negative effects of video games, and therefore it is crucial for understanding general video game effects. We developed a theoretical model of video game interactivity and tested a multidimensional scale to assess video game interactivity across five studies using six independent samples. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses as well as item analyses revealed a reliable and valid metric consisting of six dimensions of video game interactivity.