Gaming variables in linguistic research. Italian scale validation and a Minecraft pilot study

This paper deals with the concept of gamified science and its recent applications to the linguistic field. We argue that, albeit promising, this paradigm still lacks analytical tools to model the effects of the peculiar experimental setting on the results obtained. After a theoretical introduction to the User Engagement and Gaming Literacy constructs, we present two validated Italian translations of scales representing them. Lastly, we test these two gaming variables in a pilot study on the postvocalic realizations of /k t/ in the Florentine variety. Results show that both variables positively condition the production of non-continuants (i.e., emphasized words) but through different underlying mechanisms

Militarism and opposition in the living room: the case of military videogames

This article explores the importance of videogames and their associated promotional media for both militarism and the resulting opposition. It focuses on the games Medal of Honor and Medal of Honor Warfighter - two mainstream, commercially successful military combat games which purport to offer an 'authentic' experience of post 9/11 military action to the player - to develop a framework to explore the role of videogames in this area. First, in terms of the military industrial and military entertainment complex, it shows the close association between the game developers and the military, with the military providing consultancy services, access to military hardware and openly celebrating their mutual associations. Second, these associations take on an important spatial dimension with the developers and weapons makers producing promotional materials which literally show both parties 'enjoying one anothers company' in the same physical space; games also 'transport the player' into the virtual battlefield and allow them to embody the soldier. Finally, gendered militarism is shown in the gameplay and narratives within these games, alongside their associated promotional materials, all of which place significant emphasis on the links between militaristic values and masculinity. In both games, the celebration of militarism was highly controversial, prompting heated debate and active opposition - albeit varying in the two cases - from the military, politicians and players on the appropriateness of using videogames for militaristic entertainment. This suggests that there are limits to society's acquiescence in militarism and a continuing capacity to critique militaristic popular culture

Mediating Postcoloniaity in Education: Mis/Representations of Muslim Girls using Technology

In this doctoral research, I explore how social systems and postcolonial cultural norms impact the process and outcome of digital media production created by girls who belong to ethnoracial minority groups living in low-income communities. The study was conducted as a Feminist Ethnography and feminist intervention in a Toronto school over three years, with a focus on Muslim girls in 2011-2012. The purpose of this research is to respond to both the ongoing marginalization of Muslim girls in Canadian schools and to examine how digital media production can be used to bridge ongoing divides between schools and communities in low-income urban and multicultural areas of Canada. Using digital media production to explore student experiences, I identify three topics for analysis that complicate the notion of student “voice.” In this work, I address how sociocultural structures inform the process of digital media production for racialized girls, exploring what kind of meaning can be derived from student-made media and considering how the videos and photos made by Muslim girls are framed within and informed by existing social structures, social expectations, and by the intentions and interests of adults. In addition, I also examine how student concerns over being seen and/or issues related to surveillance impact what they produce (or rather, end up not producing at all). Throughout this dissertation, I also consider how student engagement with different forms of new media and technology allow for varied behaviours and interests to be performed, offering a wider view into their lives. I conclude with a discussion of silence, addressing the importance of what was left absent in the process of making digital media with Muslim girls, and explore how these omissions relate to larger postcolonial power relations, to technology, and to media education for racialized girls in under-resourced schools and communities

Gledanje videoigara: što potiče gledanje igranja videoigara na YouTubeu?

This article addresses the phenomenon of gameplay video watching on YouTube. The study investigates what drives people to watch gameplay videos and what gratifications they seek in performing the activity of gameplay viewing. To this end, the authors adopted the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) and a qualitative methodology involving three online discussion groups with 100 members of international gameplay communities. While the results pinpoint the attractiveness of the player as the most important motive, other reasons, such as preview and learning aspects or substitution for the real game, also appear to be important. The qualitative approach enabled to uncover unique aspects of the motives of watching YouTube gameplay videos. In this respect, five distinctive types of gameplay viewers are identified – Spectator, Performer, Selector, Viewer, and Substitutor – where each of them seems to engage in such practices with specific motives and accompanying gratifications.Ovaj se znanstveni rad bavi fenomenom gledanja videa na YouTubeu koji prikazuju igranje videoigara. Studija ispituje što ljude potiče na gledanje igranja videoigara te koje zadovoljstvo u tome traže. Autori se pozivaju na teoriju koristi i nagrada (uses and gratifications theory – UGT) te se koriste kvalitativnom metodologijom. Autori su proveli tri online grupne rasprave sa 100 članova međunarodne gaming zajednice. Iako se u kao najvažiji motiv gledanja ističe atraktivnost igrača, važni su i drugi razlozi, poput promatranja i učenja, ali i zamjene za pravo igranje. Taj kvalitativni pristup omogućuje otkrivanje jedinstvenih aspekata motiva gledanja igranja videoigara na Youtubeu. Tako je u ovom radu identificirano pet različitih vrsta gledatelja – promatrač, izvođač, onaj koji bira, gledatelj i zamjena – pri čemu se svaki uključuje u gledanje videoigara zbog specifičnih motiva i pratećeg zadovoljstva

Testing the Mere Exposure Effect in Videogaming

Due to proliferation of media and platforms it is becoming increasingly difficult for marketers to reach and engage consumers using traditional forms of mass media such as advertising. Marketers are turning to alternate forms of communication, such as brand placement in videogames as the games industry continues to grow. To date academic research appears inconclusive in terms of validating the use of videogames as a promotional tool. Moreover, there is a lack of empirical evidence concerning the effects on consumers and brands of marketing messages in the videogame environment. This aim of this study was to investigate whether exposure to brand placement affects unknown brand likeability as a result of mere exposure for game players and game watchers in videogames. The study adopted a quasi-experiment between group design, with a Control, Watch Group and Play Group (300 participants in total) and a post exposure questionnaire. Results suggest some support a mere exposure effect which is that a frequently presented brand placement in a videogame can have a positive effect on players and watchers’ brand attitudes, although they do not recall the brand. This is the first empirical study to investigate brand placement and mere exposure effects in videogames. Theoretically, the study contributes to knowledge concerning brand placement processing in videogames and builds on the existing paradigms of MEE, low-involvement processing, implicit and explicit processing and brand attitude formation. For game developers and brand owners, the study has implications for marketing communications strategy, and graphic design elements for the placements, design of videogames and the most effective position for placements in a game

A comprehensive model to understand and assess the motivational background of video game use: The Gaming Motivation Inventory (GMI)

Background and aims The popularity of video gaming has generated significant interest in research methods to examine motivations for gaming. Current measures of gaming motives are limited by lack of scope and/or their applicability to specific game genres only. We aimed to create a comprehensive motivation inventory applicable to any gaming genre and to evaluate its psychometric properties in a large sample of highly engaged video gamers. Methods Stage 1 of this project involved a systematic review that generated the items for the Gaming Motivation Inventory (GMI). Stages 2–4 involved an evaluation of the psychometric properties of the GMI. A sample of 14,740 video gamers (89.3% male; mean age 24.1 years) were recruited via an online survey promoted by a popular gaming magazine. Results In Stage 2, twenty-six gaming motives were identified, which clustered into six higher-order dimensions (Mastery, Immersion/Escapism, Competition, Stimulation, Social, Habit/Boredom). In Stage 3, construct validity of the six higher-order motives was assessed by associations with gaming-related, personality, and psychological variables. In Stage 4, the relationships between motives and depression symptoms and gaming disorder symptoms were explored. Although gaming motives had weak associations with gaming genres, they were moderately related to variables such as competitiveness, sociability, and positive and negative affect. Gaming disorder symptoms were directly predicted by depression symptoms and indirectly via Immersion/Escapism, Habit/Boredom, and Competition motives. Discussion and conclusions These findings support the notion that motives are one of the primary causes of gaming behavior and play an important role in predicting its problematic nature. The GMI is a psychometrically valid tool that will be useful for gaining insights into factors underlying gaming behaviors

Time-Based Addiction

This paper introduces time-based addiction, which refers to excessive engagement in an activity that results in negative outcomes due to the misallocation of time. This type of addiction is often seen in media-related activities such as video games, social media, and television watching. Behavioural design in video games plays a significant role in enabling time-based addiction. Games are designed to be engaging and enjoyable, with features such as rewards, leveling up, and social competition, which is all intended to keep players coming back for more. This article reviews the behavioural design used in video games, and media more broadly, to increase the addictive nature of these experiences. By doing so the article aims to recognise time-based addiction as a problem that in large part stems from irresponsible design practices.Comment: Accepted at the CHI-23 1st Workshop on Behavioural Design in Video Games: Ethical, Legal, and Health Impact on Players held at the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI-23), 8 page