{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T05:00:09Z","timestamp":1785387609824,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785369600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"\n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This study examined \u03b2-efficacy, social support, and trait sport confidence among individuals with disabilities, and investigated the predictive roles of participation-related characteristics.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n Convenience sampling recruited 114 participants playing Honor of Kings. Psychological traits were assessed using GSES, ISEL-SF, and TSCI. Analyses included\n t<\/jats:italic>\n -tests, ANOVA, hierarchical regression, and multiple regression.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n (1) The eSports group scored significantly higher on all three psychological measures (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001; Cohen\u2019s\n d<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22121.17 to \u22122.19). (2) Daily participation duration showed a U-shaped relationship with self-efficacy and trait sport confidence (both\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.01). (3) eSports performance positively predicted self-efficacy (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.418,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.005); years of participation showed no significant effects.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n MOBA eSports participation is positively associated with psychological traits in disabled individuals, yet the U-shaped duration-effect relationship highlights the need for moderation. Competitive performance predicts self-efficacy, while social support relates primarily to offline relationships. eSports may empower this population psychologically, but risks and boundary conditions require further investigation.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1874127","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T04:21:00Z","timestamp":1785385260000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["MOBA eSports participation and psychological traits in individuals with disabilities\u2014an association analysis grounded in self-efficacy, social support, and trait sport confidence"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yang","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Hangzhou Normal University","place":["Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shengsheng","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Hangzhou Normal University","place":["Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanxiang","family":"Lv","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Hangzhou Normal University","place":["Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kexiang","family":"Qian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhejiang College of Construction","place":["Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1640559","article-title":"Gaming through the pain: psychological flow and self-efficacy amid musculoskeletal challenges in eSports","volume":"16","author":"Alqabbani","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-3959(01)00344-X","article-title":"Pain self-efficacy beliefs and pain behaviour: a prospective study","volume":"94","author":"Asghari","year":"2001","journal-title":"Pain"},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control","author":"Bandura","year":"1997"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198104263660","article-title":"Health promotion by social cognitive means","volume":"31","author":"Bandura","year":"2004","journal-title":"Health Educ. Behav."},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-34374-2","volume-title":"Disability and Video Games: Practices of En-\/Disabling Modes of Digital Gaming","author":"Sp\u00f6hrer","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1521\/jscp.24.2.191.62271","article-title":"Self-efficacy beliefs as determinants of prosocial behavior conducive to life satisfactionacross ages","volume":"24","author":"Caprara","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Soc. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref7","first-page":"272","article-title":"The disconnection between online social capital and offline social support among online game players","volume":"15","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Psychol. Res."},{"key":"ref8","article-title":"Sports Law of the People\u2019s Republic of China [Xinhua News Agency release]","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2720","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm9092720","article-title":"Self-efficacy and clinical characteristics in casual gamers compared to excessive gaming users and non-gamers in young adults","volume":"9","author":"Chung","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Clin. Med."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11705","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182111705","article-title":"Health and access to health services for people with disability in Australia: data and data gaps","volume":"18","author":"Fortune","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health"},{"key":"ref11","first-page":"453","volume-title":"Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play","author":"Freeman","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1238057","article-title":"Acute effects of exergaming on young adults\u2019 energy expenditure, enjoyment, and self-efficacy","volume":"14","author":"Gu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref13","article-title":"The effect of eSports character identification on immersion and self-efficacy among people with disabilities","author":"Choi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Korean J. Leisure Stud."},{"key":"ref14","first-page":"23","article-title":"Deliberate practice\u2014a theory explaining the acquisition of expertise","volume":"7","author":"Hao","year":"2006","journal-title":"Contemp. Educ. Forum"},{"key":"ref15","first-page":"103","article-title":"The impact of esports on adolescents' psychological health: the mediating role of gaming motivation and the moderating role of sports participation","volume":"57","author":"Sun","year":"2024","journal-title":"Phys. Educ. J."},{"key":"ref16","first-page":"1","article-title":"Assistive technology in gaming: a survey of gamers with disabilities","volume":"37","author":"Hassan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Comput. Access."},{"key":"ref17","volume-title":"Esports for People With Disabilities","author":"Hassan","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref18","first-page":"1","article-title":"Constructing a genuinely integrated marriage and family through sports labels: a process inquiry of two fathers with sensory impairments breaking through pseudo-integration","volume":"48","author":"Hsu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Bull. Spec. Educ."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.26599\/GJMS.2024.9330042","article-title":"Immersive sound: visually impaired game players' mediated perception and practice","volume":"11","author":"Jiang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Glob. J. Media Stud."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.4018\/IJGCMS.317115","article-title":"The risks and rewards of collegiate esports","volume":"15","author":"Delello","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Gaming Comput. Mediat. Simul."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32826","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-17968-1","article-title":"Interpersonal capitalization in esports enhances players\u2019 psychological resources and well-being","volume":"15","author":"Kaczmarek","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fresc.2024.1343057","article-title":"Video games and disability\u2014a risk and benefit analysis","volume":"5","author":"Kuo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Rehabil."},{"key":"ref23","article-title":"The moderating effects of physical activity on social anxiety and sleep disturbance among young esports players","volume":"13","author":"Lee","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0263408","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0263408","article-title":"Sport psychology and performance meta-analyses: a systematic review of the literature","volume":"17","author":"Lochbaum","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1176595","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1176595","article-title":"Young Para-athletes display more hedonic well-being than people with disabilities not taking part in competitive sports: insights from a multi-country survey","volume":"14","author":"Luca Puce","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref26","volume-title":"In Proceedings of the First Academic Symposium on Clinical Medicine Application Development Research and Integration of Medical and Elderly Care","author":"Luo","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref27","first-page":"457","article-title":"Measurement of game self-regulation and its relationship with esports expertise","volume":"12","author":"Miao","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychol. Tech. Appl."},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"635651","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.635651","article-title":"Differences in the psychological profiles of elite and non-elite athletes","volume":"12","author":"Miti\u0107","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.3389\/fresc.2024.1395678","article-title":"Playing online videogames\u2014more than just entertainment? A qualitative study of virtual social participation in persons with spinal cord injury","volume":"5","author":"Nilsen","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Psychol."},{"key":"ref30","volume-title":"Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fspor.2025.1505409","article-title":"Exploratory study of qualitative psychological factors influencing performance in eSports","volume":"7","author":"Papp","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Sports Act. Living"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2158244012461923","article-title":"Psychometric evaluation of the interpersonal support evaluation list\u2013short form in the ARIC study cohort","volume":"2","author":"Payne","year":"2012","journal-title":"SAGE Open"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1257","DOI":"10.1177\/2167702619859341","article-title":"Investigating the motivational and psychosocial dynamics of dysregulated gaming: evidence from a preregistered cohort study","volume":"7","author":"Przybylski","year":"2010","journal-title":"Clin. Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1123\/jsp.8.3.221","article-title":"Conceptualization of sport-confidence and competitive orientation: preliminary investigation and instrument development","volume":"8","author":"Vealey","year":"1986","journal-title":"J. Sport Exerc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref35","article-title":"The effect of eSports character identification on immersion and self-efficacy among people with disabilities","author":"Sang-ho","year":"2022","journal-title":"Korean J. Leis. Stud."},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e36334","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.36334","article-title":"The mediating role of positive attitudes on the relationship between esports gaming hours and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"15","author":"Shan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref37","volume-title":"Empirical Testing of the Structural Model of Chinese Athletes\u2019 Self-Confidence in Sport Beijing Sport University","author":"Shen","year":"2004"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.51558\/2490-3647.2023.8.1.545","article-title":"Examination of differences in pre-competition anxiety and big five personality traits in esport players and athletes","volume":"8","author":"\u0160unje","year":"2023","journal-title":"Soc Sci Humanit Stud"},{"key":"ref9001","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"612350","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.612350","article-title":"Adaptive Esports for People With Spinal Cord Injury: New Frontiers for Inclusion in Mainstream Sports Performance","volume":"12","author":"Tabacof","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.11201\/jjdp.25.172","article-title":"The meaning of acquired disability: a qualitative analysis of life stories of men with spinal cord injuries","author":"Tagaki","year":"2016","journal-title":"ResearchGate"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1186\/s40798-025-00970-2","article-title":"Effect of physical exercise on esports performance in first-person shooter gamers: a six-week randomized controlled trial","volume":"11","author":"Tang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sports Med. Open"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.807341","article-title":"Examining the impact of school esports program participation on student health and psychological development","volume":"12","author":"Trotter","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"384","DOI":"10.1080\/10826084.2018.1496455","article-title":"Little video-gaming in adolescents can be protective, but too much is associated with increased substance use","volume":"54","author":"Turel","year":"2019","journal-title":"Subst. Use Misuse"},{"key":"ref43","first-page":"312","article-title":"The social context of video game play: challenges and strategies","volume":"25","author":"Vella","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw."},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0342317","article-title":"The mediating role of positive orientation in the relationship between personality traits and attitudes towards artificial intelligence","author":"Talik","year":"2026","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref45","first-page":"37","article-title":"A study on the reliability and validity of the general self-efficacy scale","volume":"1","author":"Wang","year":"2001","journal-title":"Appl. Psychol."},{"key":"ref46","article-title":"A study on the cultivation of self-confidence in deaf children","author":"Wang","year":"2001","journal-title":"Educ. Res."},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"549","DOI":"10.1108\/SBM-07-2025-0169","article-title":"Examining the role of motivations and participation frequency in general and social self-efficacy outcomes among esports gamers","volume":"16","author":"Choi","year":"2026","journal-title":"Sport Bus Manag: Int J"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102384","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychsport.2023.102384","article-title":"Dynamics and moderating factors of esport participation and loneliness: a daily diary study","volume":"66","author":"Luo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psychol. Sport Exerc."},{"key":"ref49","article-title":"The double-edged effect of esports culture on adolescents' values","volume":"16","author":"Yang","year":"2026","journal-title":"Adv Educ"},{"key":"ref50","article-title":"The relationship among gameplay self-efficacy, competition anxiety, and the performance of esports players","author":"Ye","year":"2022","journal-title":"Entertain. Comput."},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.16007\/j.cnki.issn2095-7122.2015.04.015","article-title":"A feasibility analysis and outlook on the participation of persons with disabilities in esports","volume":"28","author":"Zhang","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Minnan Norm. Univ. (Nat. Sci. Ed.)"},{"key":"ref52","first-page":"45","article-title":"A study on the application of digital technologies in disability sports","volume":"32","author":"Zhang","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Harbin Sport Univ"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1874127\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T04:21:06Z","timestamp":1785385266000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1874127\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]]},"references-count":53,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1874127"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1874127","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]]},"article-number":"1874127"}}