Validation of a short version of the Game Transfer Phenomena Scale on mobile phone games: gaming habits, gaming motivation, and gaming disorder

Evidence suggests that gamers commonly re-experience game content after playing. These experiences are called Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP) and manifest as altered sensory perceptions, automatic mental processes, automatic actions, and behaviours with game content. Previous research has measured GTP using comprehensive scales without considering different gaming platforms. Games on mobile phones have specific mechanics and features (e.g. slowing down the progression, flexibility to play in public/private contexts, short but recurrent gaming sessions) which may be associated with GTP and offer insights for understanding the underlying mechanisms of GTP. This study investigates GTP experienced when playing mobile games. A short version of the GTP scale (GTPS5-SF) was validated to reduce the time and cost of assessing GTP. Norwegian upper secondary school students (N = 276; 149 males, Mean Age 17.0 years) responded to an online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a one-factor solution, thus supporting the structural aspect of construct validity. GTP was reported by 51% of the participants, and auditory experiences were the most common. Convergent validity was demonstrated by significant correlations betweenthe GTPS5-SF and gaming motivation, gaming disorder, mobile phone gaming habits (playing time, number of sessions, playing contexts), and feeling pressure to play encouraged by the game design.