Female gamers’ experience of online harassment and social support in online gaming: a qualitative study

Female gaming is a relatively under-researched area, and female gamers often report experiencing harassment whilst playing online. The present study explored female experiences of social support while playing online video games, because of the previous research suggesting that females often experience harassment and negative interactions during game play. Data were collected from an online discussion forum, and comprised posts drawn from 271 female gamers. Thematic analysis of the discussions suggested that a lack of social support and harassment frequently led to female gamers playing alone, playing anonymously, and moving groups regularly. The female gamers reported experiencing anxiety and loneliness due to this lack of social support, and for many, this was mirrored in their experiences of social support outside of gaming. The female gamers frequently accepted the incorporation into their gaming of specific coping strategies to mitigate online harassment, including actively hiding their identity and avoiding all forms of verbal communication with other players. These themes are discussed in relation to relevant research in the area, along with recommendations for future research and consideration of possible explanations for the themes observed

The effect of violent video game playing on gamer's views of victims of crime

This research was designed to explore the relationship between violent video game play and attitudes towards victims. As the violent genre of games become more popular and as the graphics and content becomes even more realistic and immersive, there has been concern that this media form offers a different perspective on violence to players than more passive forms of media. Much of the research in the area of violent video game research has focused on changes in players in terms of aggressive behaviour, following exposure to these games. The present research was designed to explore any changes in affect and cognition, in terms of attitudes, that may be associated with video game play, and also to explore any factors that may moderate or mediate these changes in players, with a particular emphasis on adolescents and female gamers. The overall aims of the thesis were to establish i) the attitudes of gamers towards victims of crime ii) the role of moral disengagement strategies in violent video game play iii) the nature and experience of female violent video game play. The aims were addressed through four stages of linked research utilising a multi method design including a survey of adolescents (n=206), semi structured interviews (n=50), an online and paper survey (n=605) and analysis of a female gamer online discussion posts, in order to explore the impact of violent video game play The principal findings of this thesis noted young people who played violent video games reporting less concern for victims of crime, and attributed more blame to the victims of crime, particularly non serious victims and those that could be viewed as culpable for the crimes. While moral disengagement has been proposed as a mechanism through which people may justify immoral conduct, in the current studies the video game players were less likely than sports players to endorse moral disengagement strategies. They were found however to use a specific set of moral disengagement strategies (cognitive restructuring) than sports players and this may be related to the structures of the games, both virtual and sporting. In relation to female gamers, gaming was found to be a key element of the female gamers’ identity, with females discussing the integration of gaming into their daily lives on a number of different levels. Similar to previous research, the social elements of gaming was highlighted while simultaneous difficulties with Page 12 of 281 online interaction emphasised for female gamers. The results of the studies are discussed in relation to the experience of gaming and the possible mediating and moderating factors that may explain these effects. The results suggest that cognitive distortions, developmental stages, gender and differences in identification with game characters may explain differences in attitudes towards victims which were observed. These concepts are discussed in relation to risk and protective factors that may be important in understanding any relationship between violent video game play and less positive attitudes towards victims

Esport from a sociological perspective. Reflections on the social dimension of electronic competitive gaming

Competitive computer and video gaming, commonly known as esport, has evolved from a subculture to a mainstream phenomenon in the last three decades. Due to various parallels with traditional sports in terms of professionalization, sportsmanship, marketing, or media coverage, esport is often referred to as a sport. At the same time, esport is characterized by a new form of movement culture in sports, where virtual and real worlds overlap. This dissertation examines the social dimensions of esport and competitive gaming from a sports sociological perspective to investigate the impact esport has on society. It sheds light on the academic discourse surrounding esport and explores theoretical and practical implications for sport and society. The digitalization and technological advancements have significantly influenced the development of esport, leading to its discussion as part of popular media and sports culture. Despite some counterarguments regarding the legitimacy of esport as a sport, it has evolved into a thriving ecosystem and a multi-million-dollar industry with many links to the traditional sport system. However, a key difference between esport and traditional sports is that esport takes place in both the digital and real world, while traditional sports are exclusively practiced in physical spaces. Players immerse themselves in the virtual world of gaming and are physically and mentally connected to it. This poses unique demands on players compared to other sporting activities. In esport, players engage in real competitions, are aware of their physical and mental performance, and utilize the interplay between the digital and real worlds to surpass their opponents. In this context, the role of the body in esport is an emerging research topic and differs from the extensive exploration of the body in traditional sports. Due to the disruptive nature of esport in the realm of traditional sports, this dissertation focuses on one of the fundamental questions of sports sociology: the impact of sport, in this case esport, on society. To do so, different social dimensions of esport are investigated by answering the following research questions: • What societal impact does esport have? • What role does the body play in esport and competitive gaming? • What effect does the shifting focus from physical to digital corporeality have on players' behavior and the ecosystem? After initially providing an overview of relevant definitions, the origins, and the current state of research on esport, the thesis then explains the theoretical background concerning the role of digitalization in sports, the relevance of immersion, and the interface between the virtual and real worlds in esport and competitive gaming. Subsequently, two scoping reviews and a conceptual paper address the research questions, which are discussed and summarized in the final part, thus providing the basis for new research on the societal impact as well as other social dimensions of esport