Computer gaming, which provides a sense of visual presence, tends to be immersive, whereas the sensations that gamers experience while playing if they act with a total internal commitment to the activity itself 1, are usually autotelic. Autotelic engagement is understood to mean engagement in itself, giving pleasure in facing the challenge, while immersion is a state of mind accompanied by full engagement, joy, and loss of sense of time and space 2. It can enhance the susceptibility to immersion in computer gaming because the elements of the games, although they do not exist actually, are some representation of objects produced in the player's imagination. The researcher 3 suggest that specific conditions must be met for autotelic engagement to occur: a balance between ability level and challenge, clear goals, and immediate feedback. These conditions are specific in terms of cognitive abilities 4. A study conducted on computer gamers identified the experience of three sources of attention: visual, auditory, and mental 5, and it was observed that the level of immersion experienced by gamers is correlated with the number and degree of these experiences. It should also be noted that the combination of attention and sensory stimulation can lead to focus and continued activity, inducing a sense of detachment from the real world. At this point, the gamer feels disconnected from reality to the point that the only thing that matters is the action performed. The ability to focus attention viewed as an ability to control a person's own actions, and wakefulness, as an ability to remain aware of real-world surroundings 5, reduces susceptibility to immersion in computer games but at the same time allows to control reality. This sense of reality control is related to the intention of the gamer: initially, he or she can influence what is communicated through the game interface and on the expected outcomes. The researcher 6 found that intense focus and concentration on the action in the here and now, is one of the main prerequisites for entering the subjective space and that a sense of challenge is critical. To achieve the immersion experience, it is also important to achieve a number of possible goals 7 so that the activity is satisfying. Deep immersion can be interdependent with autotelic personality 4, 8, termed autotelic immersion, i.e. (personal communication), a sense of autotelic engagement and a creative sense of being absorbed by virtual reality.
Experiencing immersion and exotelic v/s autotelic engagement
Awareness of the real world and lack of autotelic engagement, exotelic personality may cause the player not to shut out external distractions, and, in such a case, deep immersion becomes impossible. For the novice player, the new reality engages their attention to the extent that they may have a threshold experience as a transition between everyday experience 2 and the fantasies of his or her mind. Obviously, with increasing familiarity with the game interface, the gamer can automate his or her attention and trigger engagement, in which case immersion will increase, but only to a certain extent. Initially, the gamer is aware that he or she is dealing with a virtual reality they are creating 9, but the question is whether this reality is real enough for them to lose the sense of control and dealing with a product of digital technology. Unsurprisingly, it takes more effort to play when gamers have to pay attention to the visual and audio stimuli at the same time. Virtual reality 10 with autotelic engagement 1 is given full trust by the player from the beginning, which makes him or her want to be in this reality. As in any activity, the autotelic personality makes the distrust barrier disappear, making it effortless to play and the person’s consciously forcing himself or herself to ignore signals that the reality the gamer mentally resides in is virtual. Initially, the gamer may pretend 11 that what he or she is experiencing is real, especially when they derive great pleasure and other cognitive benefits from playing. However, during frequent and prolonged playing, the gamers with autotelic engagement experience especially deep immersion that can affect control over the virtual experience and cause it to become indispensable to them. Then, due to the desire to experience immersion that triggers the expected mental experience, the gamer, focused on the virtual reality, uses his or her autotelicity to support rather than question the reality of their own experience, which consequently makes them emotionally dependent.
The phenomenon of computer game addiction, esports, and problematic gaming
The phenomenon of computer game addiction 12 explains the interplay of such factors as internal (mood regulation, decision-making), external (family support, socio-economic indicators), and social skills of young people. According to this author, individual preferences such as seeking immediate pleasure, immediate gratification, and difficulty in controlling one's impulses are also conducive to the development of this type of addiction. Problematic gaming can be a factor that adversely influences the development of relationships with the environment and other symptoms of addiction 13 that can consequently lead to negative effects. It is also speculated that one of the side effects of digitization is a lower prevalence of risk behaviors 14, whereas with the changes brought by modern civilization and rapid technological development, the way young people communicate, meet other people, learn, and spend their leisure time has changed. Addiction to computer games occurs if over a period of 12 months, a player manifests at least 5 behavioral patterns. The researcher 15 indicate that playing computer games, especially intense and with symptoms of addiction, is associated with the occurrence of psychomotor hyperactivity, irritability, aggressive behavior, high social anxiety, and lower self-esteem. The phenomenon of computer game addiction in esports is less common because esports players, despite spending many hours a day in front of the computers, avoid addiction by acting to achieve the goal of winning sports rather than acting for the sake of acting. However, immersion with autotelic engagement can be compelling to the extent that the sporting goal is transformed into action for the sake of acting.