From virtual attachments to real-world fertility desires: emotional pathways in game character attachment and parasocial relationships

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Abstract
Introduction: Low fertility has become a global challenge that threatens sustainable social development. In China, fertility intentions among people of marriageable and childbearing age (18–35 years) remain persistently low. A prevailing “risk consciousness” in online culture, together with the tendency for digital activities to substitute for real-world interactions, further weakens young people’s intrinsic motivation to have children. The relationship between simulated gaming environments and real-world fertility desire, therefore, deserves more rigorous investigation. Methods: Drawing on parasocial relationship theory and attachment theory, we collected questionnaire data from 612 game players. We tested the theoretical model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Measurement properties were examined via confirmatory factor analysis, and direct and indirect effects were evaluated using bootstrapped mediation tests. Results: Eleven of the sixteen hypotheses were supported. Game Concentration (GC) positively predicted Identification Friendship (IF), Parasocial Cognition (PC), and Parasocial Emotions (PE), but showed no direct effect on Fertility Desire (FD). Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects through the affective pathway. The cognitive path involving PC did not yield substantial indirect effects. Discussion/conclusion: Our findings indicate that simulated-game experiences are linked to FD mainly via affective rather than cognitive pathways. We propose an “Emotional Compensation Hypothesis,” whereby virtual emotional bonds buffer real-world stressors and, in turn, shape reproductive attitudes. This framing positions emotional bonding as a key theoretical lens for exploring the association between virtual gaming experiences and affective orientations toward parenthood, offering preliminary insights into digital-era reproductive attitudes. Future studies should use longitudinal designs and assess the model’s generalizability across diverse contexts.

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