SELF-PRESENT BY AVATARS IN MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAMES: THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-ESTEEM, ONLINE DISINHIBITION, AND SELF-DISCREPANCY

Playing Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) is now a popular leisure activity for some people. Players spend significant energy and money on it. In MMORPGs, players can customize their avatars as virtual identities to present themselves in the virtual world. Avatars are important when playing MMORPGs. However, few previous studies focus on the psychological determinates for avatar presentation in MMORPGs. In this study, we used an online questionnaire of 337 participants to explore the antecedent factors influencing avatar presentation. The current study considers the influence of self-esteem, online disinhibition, and self-discrepancy on self-present and the influence of self-present on avatar presentation of idea self, stand out, and following a trend. The empirical survey result reveals the self-discrepancy between virtual and physical self are relative negatively with self-esteem and positive with online disinhibition. The self-present are influence by both self-discrepancy and online disinhibition. Besides, self-present perception will lead to avatar presentation. The current study provides contributions about confirming the antecedents of avatar presentation that may be serve as fundamental for future research on online game behavior

MMORPG avatars: Representations of escapism in Chinese society based on semiotics of culture

The development of Internet technology and globalization have boosted the game industry, and among which Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games (MMORPGs) provide a space where players could create their own avatar at will, and generate their physical and psychological involvement to participate in the virtual experience of the game context. Through cases with semiotics analysis and cultural phenomenon, the correlation between in-game avatar and escapism in Chinese context would be examined on how do in-game avatars connect with escapism in China. This highly resilient virtual social space provides a malleable field far from reality, for the transition from culture to nature, from reality to illusion, and from self to digital self. By analyzing the correlation and rooted reasons between in-game avatar in MMORPGs and escapism in Chinese social context, this project will contribute to the re-understanding of the symbolic meaning of in-game avatars and realistic meaning in Chinese society

Socially Anxious Play: Design, Development, and Evaluation of Game-Based Digital Behavioural Markers for the Assessment of Social Anxiety

Social relationships are essential for humans; neglecting our social needs can cause discomfort or even lead to the development of more severe issues such as loneliness, depression, or substance dependency. Although essential, some individuals face major challenges in forming and maintaining social relationships due to the experience of social anxiety, which is the intense fear of being evaluated by others. The burden of social anxiety can be reduced through accessible assessment that leads to treatment. However, socially anxious individuals who wish to seek help face many barriers stemming from geography, the characteristics of the fear itself, or disparities in access to systems of care. Recent research has suggested digital behavioural markers as a way to deliver cheap and easily accessible digital assessment for social anxiety that may help reduce barriers to care. However, prior work focused mostly on the relationship between social anxiety and the development of problematic gaming behaviours to cope with the potentially severe consequences of social anxiety. In this dissertation, we look at the relationship between social anxiety and digital games from the lens of assessment and analyze whether we can use digital behavioural markers embedded in a gaming task to assess the severity of social anxiety. In manuscript 1, we show that social anxiety may manifest in game and biases the preferences for in-game activities and the reasons why players play Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). Further, Manuscript 2 shows that central game mechanics, such as the customization of the self-representation in-game, may affect the experience of social stress in-game. Manuscripts 3 and 4 explore the in-game movement of a player around a non-player character (NPC) and show that certain aspects of the movement path may be used to predict the degree of social anxiety. Further, we show that the camera perspective as well as the self-representation may affect the strength of these behavioural markers of social anxiety. Finally, Manuscript 5 explores how the found behavioral markers, as well as the developed gaming task, may be used to predict self-reported psychopathy---which is negatively related to social anxiety---and further shows that personal character traits manifest in-game and may explain certain phenomena such as the presence of anti-social behaviour in digital games. Overall, the results of this dissertation provide new insights about the relationship between social anxiety and its manifestation in-game, the influence of game mechanics on the experience of social stress, and how social anxiety as well as psychopathic traits may affect in-game behaviours, opening the way towards digital behavioural markers for the assessment of social anxiety

A systematic review and investigation of avatar- and self-related processes and problematic gaming

This item is only available electronically.Many games feature avatars that enable adoption of, and experimentation with, roles and identities. How avatar- and self-related processes develop and maintain gaming disorder (GD) is unclear. This review examined 18 quantitative studies of avatar- and self-related concepts and problematic gaming, including 13 survey-based and 5 neuroimaging studies. Survey-based studies consistently reported that negative self-concept, avatar identification, and large self-avatar discrepancies were associated with problematic gaming. Poor selfconcept appears to be a GD risk factor. Further research should explain how avatars relate to GD’s addictive mechanisms (e.g., cognitive distortions, reward-seeking), amid calls for GDrelated interventions to focus on avatar identification.Thesis (M.Psych(Clinical)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 202

Game Appropriation: Where does the gamer fit?

The socio-technological transformation of digital games means that they are no longer single-player, co-located game experiences but instead are multiplayer socially-oriented ones (e.g. World of Warcraft). This change underpins the central concern of this thesis, to understand game appropriation and the intrinsically motivating nature of gaming. Game appropriation is defined as the broad incorporation of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) into gamers’ daily practices, including the nature of their gameplay. Gaming is not viewed as a set of defined moments of participation but as a dynamic activity, directly interrelated with a gamers’ everyday life. Therefore, a broad perspective on motivation and gaming is adopted, incorporating not only reinforcing aspects of game design but also acknowledging the role of the social context and the gamer as an individual during gameplay. The findings of three studies showed that game design, social interaction and gamers’ psychological characteristics uniquely interplay to support game appropriation. The key findings are: (i) Flexible game design is a prerequisite for game appropriation; multiple game structures enable the creation of collaborative and competitive relationships and contribute to innovative forms of play; (ii) Diverse forms of social interaction, within and around gameplay, define the nature of game appropriation; (iii) The role of the gamer in game appropriation is critical. The gamer as an individual is the agent defining the distinct social forms of play when shaping the game experience, underpinned by certain psychological characteristics. While gamers with higher trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) play for social interaction per se, those with lower trait EI make purposive use of sociality in order to progress and succeed in the game. Similarly, on a needs scale (Basic Psychological Needs Scale) lower scorers on autonomy are more prone to competitive and instrumental social gaming practices; (iv) The process of game appropriation is progressively developed, influenced by the type of in-game activities and novel game features, trait EI scores and the presence of other gamers in the game. In summary, game appropriation, being game-specific, begins with the interaction between the gamer and a flexible game design and becomes socially negotiated within a community of gamers. The final social configuration -instrumental or social per se- is influenced by certain psychological characteristics of gamers as individuals

Social platform or fantasy world? - A mixed methods approach to the study of social interaction in World of Warcraft

The purpose of this study was to investigate massively-multiplayer online role-playing games from the social interactionist perspective. The aim was to chart the social interaction within the game environment as well build upon previous known findings concerning player's in-game preferences as well as the sociability of the game environment. The questions addressed by this study were: - How does the social interaction within World of Warcraft utter itself? - What function does World of Warcraft have for its players? A mixed methods approach was used in the form of an online self-completion survey in combination with separate in-game participant observations. The resulting material consisted of surveys, chatlogs and screenshots. Results indicated that the game environment contained several spheres of interaction, where real life as well as guilds showed the qualities of a protected backstage region while the public and action-oriented spheres showed frontstage public qualities. The playerbase of the game showed the inherent qualities of a team, displaying a coherent routine that reinforced the boundaries between the back- and fronstage regions. Players were also often seen gravitating to form two opposing teams in the dramaturgical sense as well as share a mutual culture based on popular culture. Furthermore, survey results showed that the nature of the social ties that players have with them in the game have a correlation with both their in-game activities as well as their preferences. Different demographic groups were also found to vary in their activities and social ties. The findings of this study grant an insight into the way in which the social interaction within massively-multiplayer online role-playing games is formed by the actors within the interaction as well as the game environment itself. These findings have possible application use in both understanding game usage as well as the social possibilities of massively-multiplayer online role-playing games

UNDERSTANDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAMES: CRIME OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDANCE PERSPECTIVES

With the popularity of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), in-game sexual harassment has drawn tremendous attention from game players, game developers, and governments. Because of its devastating impact on victims, researchers from various disciplines have advocated the importance of understanding sexual harassment in MMORPGs. While information systems (IS) researchers have begun to investigate user behaviors in MMORPGs, research on deviant behaviors in MMORPGs remains scarce in the IS literature. With the inherent focus on sociotechnical factors in the IS discipline, we believe it is crucial to consider both the social and technical elements of sexual harassment in MMORPGs. Thus, our research aims to integrate crime opportunity theory and affordance theory to explain how MMORPG affordances give rise to the evaluation of favorable MMORPG environmental conditions for in-game sexual harassment and the inclination to sexually harass others in the games. This research-in-progress paper proposes a research model and presents our research design for examining sexual harassment in MMORPGs

Interactive effects of individual- and group-level variables on virtual purchase behavior in online communities

Focusing on social network theories, we examine the interactive influence of both group-level (i.e. community influences) and individual-level variables (intrinsic and extrinsic motivations) simultaneously as the drivers of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) players’ virtual purchase behavior. We demonstrate that several aspects of real-world behavior are reflected in virtual purchase behavior. Notably, normative interpersonal influences and community identity are critical drivers and moderators of virtual purchases. Moreover, clear advancement and enjoyment opportunities offer important triggers for virtual purchase behavior. This study provides insights for game developers to increase virtual purchases, and identifies domain-specificity of each gaming platform

Let There Be Dragons! Towards Designing an Engaging Quest that Enhances Curiosity and Learning About Genetics

This study implemented a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to investigate game-based learning within an educational game compared to a modified entertainment game. Participants (N=31) were recruited from public middle and high schools as well as home school groups. Comparative data of participants’ perceptions, preferences and learning outcomes were investigated to inform better educational game design. This study also considers player personality to determine how dispositional curiosity influences an individual’s approach, acceptance, and interaction with novel learning environments, specifically games. Findings show a statistically significant gain in genetics academic knowledge after the game-based learning intervention. The difference in knowledge gained for the two games was not statistically significant. All dimensions of engagement, motivation and curiosity were statistically significantly higher for the modified entertainment game. Increases in scientific curiosity was statistically significantly higher for the modified entertainment game while scientific curiosity statistically significantly decreased after playing the educational game. Qualitative analysis revealed five themes and provided deeper understanding of game design features that enhance learning, curiosity and engagement from the player’s perception. Integration of quantitative and qualitative results suggest overall convergence and enhanced understanding of theoretical and practical implications of this research and identifies key relationships between game design, player perceptions and learning outcomes to inform better educational game design and implementation

Internet Gaming Disorder: compensating as a Draenei in World of Warcraft

The diagnosis of Gaming Disorder (GD) has been recently proposed in the beta draft of the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization (WHO). This follows the inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), as a condition requiring additional research in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), issued by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Further research has been recommended to enhance understanding of excessive gaming, especially in the context of user-avatar (in-game figure representing the gamer) relationships. The association between selecting the Draenei race, compensation of real-life deficits through gaming, and the gamer’s gender were investigated as IGD risk factors among players of the online game, World of Warcraft (WoW). A normative online sample of WoW gamers (N = 404 Mage = 25.56; 13–75; males = 299; 74%) completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) and the compensation subscale of the User-Avatar Questionnaire. Regression, mediation, and moderated mediation analyses were conducted. Overall, players with higher levels of compensation exhibited greater levels of IGD symptoms. Interestingly, choosing the Draenei race was associated with increased compensatory behavior, which in turn linked to higher IGD risk. These associations were mildly stronger among females. Findings suggest that virtual demographics, such as the Draenei race, and their interplay with compensatory behaviors should be carefully considered when creating prevention and intervention policies targeting excessive gaming, especially when it involves the use of avatars