RAPID COMMUNICATION Games at Work: The Recreational Use of Computer Games During Working Hours Leonard Reinecke, M.Sc. Abstract The present study investigated the recreational use of video and computer games in the workplace. In an online survey, 833 employed users of online casual games reported on their use of computer games during working hours. The data indicate that playing computer games in the workplace elicits substantial levels of recovery experience. Recovery experience associated with gameplay was the strongest predictor for the use of games in the workplace. Furthermore, individuals with higher levels of work-related fatigue reported stronger recovery experience during gameplay and showed a higher tendency to play games during working hours than did persons with lower levels of work strain. Additionally, the social situation at work was found to have a significant influence on the use of games. Persons receiving less social support from colleagues and supervisors played games at work more frequently than did individuals with higher levels of social support. Furthermore, job control was positively related to the use of games at work. In sum, the results of the present study illustrate that computer games have a significant recovery potential. Implications of these findings for research on per- sonal computer use during work and for games research in general are discussed. Introduction W ith the growing accessibility of information tech- nology in the workplace, the personal use of corporate computers during working hours, sometimes called ‘‘cyber- slacking,’’ 1 is a growing concern for employers and researchers alike. Frequently, the personal use of work computers is con- sidered a form of organizational deviance, 2 and previous re- search has focused primarily on the potential negative effects of cyberslacking in the workplace. 2,3 Although some re- searchers have noted that the personal use of computers in the workplace is not necessarily destructive 4 and might even have beneficial effects, such as job satisfaction or recreation from stress, fatigue, and boredom, 1,2,5,6 the personal use of work computers as a recreational activity has not received much attention yet. While previous research has focused primarily on the personal use of the Internet in the workplace, 1–3 the present research focuses on the use of computer games during work. Several aspects lend support to the assumption that com- puter games may fulfill the function of recreation and recov- ery from stress and strain in the workplace. Especially, casual games, downloadable computer games with small file size or online games that are launched from a Web site and played via the user’s Web browser, are played by many office workers to unwind and to escape stress. 7 Recent experimental data suggest that playing games after a demanding task might help to improve cognitive performance and concentration. 8 Consequently, playing computer games during working hours might provide an effective means of recuperation. Computer Games and the Recovery Process During working hours, individuals are constantly con- fronted with tasks that demand their concentration and at- tention. The energy expenditure associated with these mental and physical efforts leads to strain reactions and psycholog- ical and physiological fatigue. 9 Recovery, in contrast, is the process opposite to the strain process and leads to the resto- ration of depleted ressources. 10 Based on previous research on the recovery process, Sonnentag and Fritz 10 identified four central dimensions that are crucial for successful recovery: (a) psychological detachment from work: mental disengagement from negative reflections on work-related issues; (b) relaxa- tion: returning to baseline levels of psychological and physi- ological arousal; (c) mastery experiences: building up internal resources (e.g., new competencies and self-efficacy) through challenging activities during off-job time; and (d) control: in- creasing psychological well-being by experiencing personal control during leisure time. Results of research on computer games suggest that playing games might contribute to these dimensions of the Hamburg Media School, University of Hamburg, Germany. CYBERPSYCHOLOGY &BEHAVIOR Volume 12, Number 4, 2009 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089=cpb.2009.0010 461