The Impact of Personality Traits on Immersion and Addiction in College Students Participating in Esports

This study examined the relationship between immersion and addiction in university students participating in e-sports, focusing on the five factors of personality. The results showed that personality traits did not significantly influence immersion in esports, and their explanatory power for immersion was also limited. This suggests that immersion is a state-dependent experience influenced more by situational factors—such as the esports environment, social context, and emotional state—than by an individual's stable disposition. Conversely, personality traits were found to have a distinct influence on esports addiction. Specifically, neuroticism showed a positive relationship with all sub-factors of addiction, acting as a factor increasing addiction risk. Conscientiousness, on the other hand, was identified as a protective factor contributing to addiction prevention by reducing loss of control, irritability, and dependence. Furthermore, immersion emerged as a variable significantly predicting all sub-factors of addiction.