337 research outputs found

    Social Norms in Virtual Worlds of Computer Games

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    Immersing in the virtual world of the Internet, information and communication technologies are changing the human being. In spite of the apparent similarity of on-line and off-line, social laws of their existence are different. According to the analysis of games, based on the violation of the accepted laws of the world off-line, their censoring, as well as the cheating, features of formation and violations of social norms in virtual worlds were formulated. Although the creators of the games have priority in the standardization of the virtual world, society as well as players can have impact on it to reduce the realism. The violation of the prescribed rules by a player is regarded as cheating. And it is subjected to sanctions, but the attitude toward it is ambiguous, sometimes positive. Some rules are formed as a result of the interaction between players

    Can videogames be addicting? An investigation into the specific game features and personal characteristics associated with problematic videogame playing

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    The number of individuals who play videogames has increased dramatically in recent years. Unsurprisingly, the frequency with which patients seek psychotherapeutic services to help cope with problematic videogame playing (PVGP) behaviors has also risen. Thus, explorations into the specific characteristics of PVGP are essential now more than ever before. However, the current state of the literature primarily relies on comparisons between PVGP and pathological gambling, utilizing modified measures of the latter to assess the former. To date, no studies have attempted to adapt the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder (SUD) in an effort to understand PVGP within the context of addiction. Further, few studies have explored the specific game characteristics and individual factors that contribute to the presence of PVGP. The current study sought to address these questions by adapting the SUD criteria to address videogame-related behavior via a measure labeled as the Videogame Addiction Scale (VGAS). Comparisons of the psychometrics and criterion validity of the VGAS and leading measures of PVGP suggested the former was superior. Further, results indicated that higher levels of addiction were present in players who prefer the MMORPG and Shooter genres over all other types of games, with the former yielding significantly higher VGAS scores than the latter. Further, many of the structural characteristics of videogames were considered to be more enjoyable, important, and associated with longer playtimes for individuals with higher “addiction” scores than their low scoring counterparts. Lastly, a model of videogame addiction was generated that aligns with the current literature on substance use disorders. Specifically, impulsivity, maladaptive coping, weekly playtime, and particular structural characteristics all seem to relate to videogame addiction

    Violent video games and attitudes towards victims of crime: An empirical study among youth

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    Previous research has indicated that playing violent video games may be associated with an increase in acceptance of violence and positive attitudes towards perpetrators of crime. This study is the first to investigate the relationship between playing violent video games and attitudes towards victims of crime. A total of 206 young people (aged 12-24 years) completed measures of attitudes towards victims and violent video game exposure. The results suggest that exposure to violent video games is associated with less concern being reported for victims of crime. Young people who play more violent video games reported less concern for general victims and for culpable victims, and these effects cannot be explained by gender or age differences. The results are discussed in relation to relevant research in the area, along with recommendations for future research

    Guilt in DayZ

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    Death in most games is simply a metaphor for failure (Bartle 2010). Killing another player in a first-person shooter (FPS) game such as Call of Duty (Infinity Ward 2003) is generally considered to be as transgressive as taking an opponent’s pawn in chess. In an early exploratory study of players’ experiences and processing of violence in digital videogames, Christoph Klimmt and his colleagues concluded that “moral management does not apply to multiplayer combat games”(2006, 325). In other words, player killing is not a violation of moral codes or a source of moral concern for players. Subsequent studies of player experiences of guilt and moral concern in violent videogames (Hartmann, Toz, and Brandon 2010; Hartmann and Vorderer 2010; Gollwitzer and Melzer 2012) have consequently focused on the moral experiences associated with single-player games and the engagement with transgressive fictional, virtual narrative content

    The toxicity of our (virtual) cities: Prevalence of dark participation in games and perceived effectiveness of reporting tools

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    Dark participation in games (i.e., trolling and toxic behavior) have been gaining ever-increasing academic attention as a negative aspect of online gaming. Much of the literature in this area has focused on the personality and identity of the perpetrators, but this has been largely outside of the gaming context. The present study aims to explore the prevalence rates of dark participation in the online gaming community, the reporting function to punish deviant players, and the importance of dual identities (troll and gamer) in the perpetration of deviant in-game behaviors. Our results indicated that nearly all players in our sample had been victims of dark participation or witnessed in-game victimization, suggesting that it is a major problem in the community, but that many players also use the reporting function. Troll identity was predictive of these behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

    Motivations, experiences and outcomes of playing videogames

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    The current research examined gaming within a leisure context to examine the motivational and experiential value of the activity, to better understand the range of outcomes of playing videogames. Flow theory was used as a theoretical framework for examining positive gaming experiences, and how these were associated with gaming motivations, and potential positive psychological and affective outcomes. The research utilised a mixed-methodological approach with samples of gamers. These included focus groups, an experiment and online questionnaires. The findings showed that immersion and achievement-orientated gaming motivations predicted flow in gaming, and could also predict some dimensions of psychological well-being. Flow in gameplay interacted with increases in positive mood and activation. This suggests that the processes involved in gaming are influential to positive gaming outcomes. Specific game aspects were influential to the nature of gaming experiences, although these were largely dependent on game-type. The findings also showed that social gaming contexts were influential towards gaming experiences, and the associated affective outcomes. This suggests the dynamic nature of gaming experiences, and the importance of acknowledging the wider social contexts in which gaming occurs. Aspects of personality (i.e. trait aggression and competitiveness) influenced negative mood after gameplay, suggesting the importance of considering internal factors when examining gaming outcomes. Further, because gaming motivations, experiences and the associated effects were largely individual and game-specific, this highlights the need for future research to adopt more idiographic approaches. Based on the findings, the research presents a Process Model of Gameplay to examine the dynamic nature of gameplay processes for a range of outcomes. The current research highlights the effectiveness of considering gaming within the wider context of leisure, to identify gaming processes as a way of examining the influence of gaming motivations and experiences on positive outcomes of the activity

    Videojuegos y violencia: Una revisión sistemática

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    La presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar los estudios publicados en los últimos once años (2010 - 2021) en relación a las variables videojuegos y violencia. Se utilizó el método de revisión sistemática, revisando 77 artículos publicados desde enero del 2010 hasta agosto de 2021, que incluyó estudios sobre videojuegos y violencia que se publicaron la base de datos: Scopus. Se aplicaron criterios de inclusión, exclusión con el fin de obtener la mayor información relevante. La revisión sistemática sintetiza los principales hallazgos, identifica la metodología predominante de las investigaciones, detalla el tipo de juego estudiado y contrasta las principales dificultades del estudio. Se logró identificar evidencia que sugiere la existencia de una relación directa pero baja entre las variables uso de videojuegos y violencia, por otro lado, se contrastan vacíos teóricos en el estado actual del estudio de estas variables como el no diferenciar el tipo de juego, la ausencia de instrumentos que permitan medir las conductas asociadas al uso de los mismos y la necesidad del abordaje en estudios longitudinales dirigidas a estas variables. De igual forma se brindaron recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones que aborden el objeto de estudio
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