Universität zu Köln

Smith, Elke ORCID: 0000-0003-2836-0924, Poth, Yannik, Sohns, Kara S. Z. ORCID: 0000-0003-0659-2652, Kaspar, Kai ORCID: 0000-0002-5092-6798 and Peters, Jan ORCID: 0000-0002-0195-5357 (2025). Increased user engagement on YouTube for loot box content and its potential relevance for behavioural addictions. Scientific Reports, 15 (1). pp. 1-10. Springer Nature. ISSN 2045-2322

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Abstract

[Artikel-Nr.: 16833] Video games frequently contain loot boxes, i.e. virtual in-game items sharing structural similarities with gambling. On YouTube © , there are multi-million subscriber channels prominently featuring loot box-related content. A gamblification of digital games may increase player engagement, and we tested if user engagement on YouTube is linked to loot box content. We extracted aggregate user engagement measures from more than 22 thousand YouTube gaming videos with and without focused display of loot boxes. Principal component analysis was used to reduce dimensionality and derive components reflecting overall and sustained, and relative user engagement, respectively. Confirming our pre-registered hypothesis (see https://osf.io/nh7zr ), a significant effect of loot box content on the first principal component was found, reflecting higher overall and sustained user engagement for videos featuring loot box content. This increased engagement may be linked to the gambling-like properties of the reward structure conveyed by loot boxes. Publicly available user data may serve as an early indicator of potential changes in problematic internet use and gambling-related behaviour.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Smith, Elke UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2836-0924 UNSPECIFIED Poth, Yannik UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Sohns, Kara S. Z. UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0659-2652 UNSPECIFIED Kaspar, Kai UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5092-6798 UNSPECIFIED Peters, Jan UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0195-5357 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-809453
Identification Number:	10.1038/s41598-025-01482-5
Journal or Publication Title:	Scientific Reports
Volume:	15
Number:	1
Page Range:	pp. 1-10
Number of Pages:	10
Date:	15 May 2025
Publisher:	Springer Nature
ISSN:	2045-2322
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Human Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Human Sciences > Department Psychologie
Subjects:	Psychology
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Loot box ; User engagement ; YouTube ; Gaming ; Gambling-like mechanisms ; Gambling English
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/80945