Sngs

Computers in Human Behavior 27 (2011) 852–861

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Computers in Human Behavior

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh

Why do people play social network games?

Dong-Hee Shin ⇑, Youn-Joo Shin ⇑

Department of Interaction Science (WCU Program), Sungkyunkwan University, B307 International Hall, 53 Myeongnyun-dong 3-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-745, South Korea

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Recently, Social Network Games (SNGs) over social network services have become popular and have spawned a whole new subculture. This study examines the perceived factors which contribute to an SNG user’s behaviors. It proposes an SNG acceptance model based on integrating cognitive as well as affective attitudes as primary influencing factors. Results from a survey of SNG players validate that the proposed theoretical model explains and predicts user acceptance of SNG very well. The model shows fine measurement properties and establishes the perceived playfulness and security of SNGs as distinct constructs. The findings also reveal that flow plays a moderation role that affects various paths in the model. Based on the results of this study, both the appropriate practical implications for SNG marketing strategies and the theoretical implications are provided. Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Article history: Available online 8 December 2010 Keywords: Social network games Perceived playfulness Perceived security User modeling

1. Introduction Online Social Network Services (SNS) have experienced exponential growth in membership in recent years (Barker, 2009). Along with the popular SNS trend, social games – essentially games created to be playable within existing major social networking websites – seem poised to start a revolution in the game industry akin to the one initiated by downloadable casual games. A Social Network Game (SNG) is a type of browser game that is distributed primarily through...