Self-Determination Theory
SDT is a theory of individual behavioral motivation proposed by American psychologists Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci in the 1980s, based on psychological needs theory, integration theory, cognitive theory, and attribution theory.13SDT emphasizes the active role of the self in motivational processes, which is the possibility of experiential choice, where an individual freely chooses to act based on a thorough understanding of their personal needs and environmental information.12On the other hand, SDT elucidates the process by which individuals take action from a motivational perspective and recognizes the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that shape behavior.14It emphasizes an individual’s innate desire to pursue psychological growth and happiness and describes the key elements necessary to achieve that pursuit.12When people’s psychological needs are satisfied, their intrinsic motivation is significantly enhanced, leading to improved work efficiency, increased motivation, and a greater sense of happiness.15.
The ideas proposed by SDT are considered to be basic psychological needs that drive individual participation behavior, and have attracted great academic attention in various fields, including psychology, sociology, and sports studies. For example, in the field of psychology, SDT not only plays a vital role in promoting personality development, enhancing psychological functioning, and facilitating the growth process, but also has great significance in guiding psychological interventions and treatments.16,17,18Additionally, within the field of sociology, SDT offers insights into the dynamics of romantic relationships, highlighting the exchange and interdependence of self-perspectives inherent in optimal romantic relationships.19Additionally, it can be applied to workplace relationships and aids in the self-assessment of individuals’ leadership capabilities and future career development trajectories.20Finally, in sport research, SDT contributes to the understanding of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations underlying sport behaviours such as participation and consumption, thereby guiding strategies to effectively motivate individuals to participate in sport activities.18,21.
In our case, SDT supports the claim that e-sports live streaming viewing is an individual’s spontaneous behavior and is influenced by various motivational factors. The overall consideration of e-sports fans is consistent with the basic principle of SDT that behavior is driven by the satisfaction of personal needs. This theory provides a comprehensive framework that encompasses intrinsic motivation, which satisfies the needs inherent in the activity itself, and extrinsic motivation, which includes external factors that influence the behavior. Therefore, this study builds a theoretical framework of e-sports fans’ motivation to watch live streams based on SDT (see Figure 1). E-sports fans’ self-needs and environmental factors generate intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, which in turn drive their viewing behavior of e-sports events and ultimately satisfy their self-motivational needs. This theoretical framework, rooted in SDT, guides the entire process of e-sports fans’ motivation to watch live streams from generation to actual realization.
Research hypothesis
The impact of intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is described as the pursuit of three main needs: value (related to self-interest), competence (related to task performance), and pleasure (related to pleasant experiences).14Research has shown that intrinsic motivations such as well-being, stress relief, emotional release, entertainment, and a sense of accomplishment at sporting events influence spectator enthusiasm.twenty twoFor example, the Sports Fan Motivation Scale (SFMS) developed by WangFive The intrinsic motivations of spectators at sporting events were studied in terms of eustress, self-esteem, entertainment, aesthetics, escapism, and team identification.twenty three They suggested that intrinsic motivations such as learning, aesthetics, a sense of belonging, and a sense of accomplishment directly influence fans’ viewing motivation.twenty four They emphasized that e-sports fans’ self-esteem motivation directly influences their enthusiasm for watching. Liu et al.twenty five Additionally, we added elements of patriotism, entertainment, and learning to our motivational framework.
Based on the existing literature, this study analyzes four aspects of the intrinsic motivation of e-sports fans’ live streaming viewing behavior: idol worship.23,26,27Leisure and entertainment2, 3, 5, 7affiliation identification2,3,6,28and competitive incentives28,29,30Idol worship motivation refers to the identification and admiration that e-sports fans show towards professional e-sports athletes, virtual characters, and other objects, expressed through attention and emotional projection. Leisure entertainment motivation relates to e-sports fans’ desire to satisfy their needs, relieve stress, and relax mentally and physically through watching live streams. Belonging identification motivation relates to the process by which e-sports fans identify themselves as part of a particular e-sports community. Competitive excitement motivation relates to the exhilaration that e-sports fans experience through the exciting visuals and competitive process during live streams.
Collectively, the aforementioned studies suggest that e-sports fans’ intrinsic motivation may have a direct positive effect on their enthusiasm for watching matches. In other words, the higher the intrinsic motivation of e-sports fans, the stronger their desire to watch live streaming matches and the higher their viewing frequency. Therefore, this study formulates hypothesis 1.
H1
The intrinsic motivation of eSports fans has a significant positive impact on their live stream viewing behavior.
Considering the complexity of e-sports fans’ motivations for watching live streaming, this study aims to explore in more depth the specific intrinsic motivations behind e-sports fans’ viewing behavior. Based on the analytical framework of e-sports fans’ viewing motivations proposed earlier, this study separately investigates the influence of idol worship, sense of belonging, leisure entertainment, and competitive stimuli. To this end, this paper breaks down hypothesis 1 into the following sub-hypotheses:
H1a
The idol worship motivation of e-sports fans has a significant positive impact on their live streaming viewing behavior.
H1b
E-sports fans’ leisure entertainment appetite has a significant positive impact on their live streaming viewing behavior.
H1c
The belongingness motivation of eSports fans has a significant positive impact on their live streaming viewing behavior.
H1d
Competitive stimulation motivation among eSports fans has a significant positive impact on live streaming viewing behavior.
The impact of extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation includes motivation to satisfy an individual’s external needs, such as socialization, rewards, peripheral activities, and consumption.29,30,31Chen et al.26 It has been demonstrated that external environmental factors such as peripheral activities and consumption jointly influence fans’ frequency of attending sports, and that factors such as socialization, aesthetics, media advertising, and player behavior increase fans’ enthusiasm for attending games.32Furthermore, sporting atmospheres, marketing efforts around sporting events, and community support have been shown to stimulate interest in attending matches and increase spectator enthusiasm.27,33Furthermore, Pu et al.44 We found that extrinsic motivations, such as the atmosphere of e-sports events and social interactions, directly affect e-sports fans’ enthusiasm for watching.
Similarly, this study summarizes two aspects of extrinsic motivation from the literature review: social engagement;4,5,23 and surrounding activities6,29,30Social engagement motives refer to the social behaviors of e-sports fans, such as sharing and interacting with family and friends about e-sports events. Peripheral activity motives refer to e-sports fans’ participation in peripheral activities, such as giveaways, raffles, and advertisements during e-sports live streams.
As the aforementioned studies jointly demonstrate that external factors, whether environmental, social, or cultural, can positively influence e-sports fans’ viewing motivations, this article hypothesizes that:
H2
The extrinsic motivation of eSports fans has a significant positive impact on their live stream viewing behavior.
Similarly, H2 is divided into two sub-hypotheses:
H2a
E-sports fans’ peripheral activity motivation has a significant positive impact on their live streaming viewing behavior.
H2B
E-sports fans’ social engagement motivation has a significant positive impact on their live streaming viewing behavior.
The combined effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
The viewing motivations of eSports fans are multifaceted and often encompass a combination of motivational factors. Previous studies have identified a variety of complex motivational components, including socialization, escapism, idolization, and a sense of accomplishment, as positive predictors of viewers’ viewing behavior of eSports events.29,30,34 analyzed 13 “push and pull factors” in the viewing behavior of eSports viewers, showing a combination of both internal and external factors. Furthermore, Koronios et al.35 It was found that multifaceted motivations, such as team attachment, achievement, social factors, drama, and role models, influence spectators’ consumption behavior when watching sport events.36 Based on SDT, Trail and James investigated the relationship between spectators’ viewing motivations and behavioral intentions for e-sports events and argued that both spectators’ intrinsic motivations and extrinsic perceived value had a significant positive effect on their behavioral intentions to watch e-sports.twenty three It was found that intrinsic motivations, such as aesthetics, knowledge acquisition, and achievement, and extrinsic motivations, such as family, escapism, positive pressure, and social interaction, directly influence the viewing behavior of spectators at sporting events. Overall, the above studies indicate that the viewing behavior of e-sports fans is influenced by diverse motivational factors, including both intrinsic motivations, such as leisure entertainment, a sense of belonging, idol worship, and competitive stimulation, and extrinsic motivations, such as social engagement and peripheral activities. Based on the above studies, this study proposes hypothesis 3.
H3
The combined influence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has a significant positive impact on eSports fans’ live stream viewing behavior.