Differences in general and gaming-specific self-esteem and their association with different psychological and gaming-related outcomes

Self-esteem is commonly conceptualized as a stable general trait. However, growing evidence highlights the importance of domain-specific self-esteem. Focusing on the video game domain, this study examines how differences in general self-esteem and gaming-specific self-esteem relate to socio-demographic, psychological, and gaming-related factors. Using survey data from 14,740 highly engaged gamers, we demonstrated differences among three groups: those with higher gaming self-esteem than general self-esteem, those with no difference between the two constructs, and those with lower gaming self-esteem than general self-esteem. Gamers in the first group reported more psychological distress, spent more time gaming and consuming gaming content, played games for escapism and competence, and preferred multiplayer gaming genres. In contrast, gamers in the last group exhibited more favorable outcomes, including fewer symptoms of gaming disorder, less consumption of gaming-related content, and more positive affect. These findings suggest that higher levels of gaming-related self-esteem may reflect the use of video games to compensate for low general self-esteem and be evidence of underlying psychological vulnerabilities. Recognizing this pattern can help identify gamers at risk and promote healthier engagement with video games.