Date
5-20-2026
Department
School of Communication and the Arts
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)
Chair
Robert Mott, Benjamin Yarbrough
Keywords
World of Warcraft, MMORPG, uses and gratifications, motivations, computer-mediated communication, channel selection
Disciplines
Communication
Recommended Citation
Hutt, Joshua Michael, "“Looking for Group”: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of the Uses and Gratifications behind World of Warcraft Player Communication" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8513.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8513
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the uses and gratifications of in-game communication in World of Warcraft (WoW). The problem is that scholars do not precisely know how uses and gratifications motivate players to use certain channels of communication within WoW. The rationale for the research was to determine whether certain motivations are being fulfilled during in-game communication, influencing players to select certain channels over others. The data collection method for this research used semi-structured interviews conducted online via Microsoft Teams. A screening application was sent to Reddit pages and Discord groups associated with World of Warcraft to recruit participants over 18 years old who actively play WoW for at least one hour a week. Data was analyzed using a deductive thematic analysis. Coding was completed in Max QDA by coding interview answers into themes based on the current models of player motivation to play and communicate in games, as well as the needs outlined in the uses and gratifications theory, social presence, and identity management theory. Overall, the findings demonstrate that communication channel selection in WoW is a sociopsychological process in which motivational needs are filtered through regulated social presence and identity management negotiations to construct an optimal communicative experience. This study extends uses and gratifications theory into the domain of communication channel selection within persistent virtual environments and contributes to communication scholarship by exploring how expression, interaction, and influence operate simultaneously within online gaming communities.
