Entrapment in games

Reframing persistence in the I-Pace framework

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21881936
AutoresPaweł Strojny (0000-0002-6016-044X, Jagiellonian University), Michał Kłosiński (0000-0002-5169-5338, University of Silesia in Katowice)
Año2026
Volumen15
Número1
Páginas19-25
Fecha de publicación2026-04-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Behavioral Addictions (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2062-5871 • E-ISSN: 2063-5303
EditorialAkademiai Kiado Zrt. (PUBLISHER • HU)
DOI10.1556/2006.2025.00459
PMID41842938
OpenAlexW7137832836
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas39

This paper introduces entrapment as a socio-cognitive pathway of gaming persistence that complements the gratification–compensation sequence in the I-PACE framework. Drawing on escalation-of-commitment theory, identity maintenance, sunk-cost reasoning, and social obligations, we argue that contemporary game architectures, especially gacha systems, transform cumulative investments of time, money, and identity into barriers against disengagement. Empirical signals, including sunk-cost effects, gaming-contingent self-worth, loss aversion, and amotivation, indicate that after initial gratification, persistence may become decoupled from enjoyment and remain both measurable and clinically relevant. Entrapment is not a universal endpoint but an optional trajectory, clarifying why some players continue “without joy” and underscoring implications for assessment, intervention, and responsible design

Cognitive reframing · Entrapment · Restitution · Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies · Gambling Behavior and Treatments · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports