Relationship between Father–Daughter Relationships and Women’s Dependence on Virtual Male Characters: The Mediating Effect of Attachment Styles

Abstract

China's gaming market has attracted a significant number of female players, increasing the popularity of romance games that feature interactions with virtual male characters, particularly female players. This research examines how father‒daughter relationships influence Chinese female players’ dependence on these virtual characters and explores the mediating role of attachment styles. The study involved 235 female Otome game players and utilized the ECR-C, FPQ-R-B and IVIS questionnaires. The results reveal a weak positive correlation between the quality of father‒daughter relationships and reliance on virtual male characters. Avoidant attachment has a suppressive effect on father‒daughter relationships and virtual male character dependency. Overall, this study enriches the application of attachment theory in virtual contexts, illustrates how parental relationships shape female players’ gaming experiences and emotional dependencies, and lays the groundwork for further exploration of psychological mechanisms in virtual interactions.