Social Interactions and Games

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/authorsrights a b s t r a c t In recent years, there have been rising concerns about the impact of online video game play on users' socialization, particularly among adolescent players. The current study addresses one of these concerns and evaluates the potential impact of social displacement on the size and quality of users' social circles due to video game play. Using a representative sample of adolescent players, the results provide support for the emergence of social displacement effects. Increased social online video game play, but not social offline video game play, was found to correspond with smaller, and lower quality, offline social circles. However, further research is needed to assess the impact of these declines on everyday socialization, such its potential negative influence on the development and maintenance of social skills.

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2014

Some researchers believe that online gaming spaces can be socially accommodating environments for socially inhibited individuals, such as the socially inept, socially anxious, or shy. Whilst previous research has examined, and found, significant links between these populations and online video game play, it remains unknown to what extent these spaces are contributing to tangible social benefits for the socially inhibited. The current study addresses this question by evaluating the link between gaming-related friendships and shyness, as quantified by emotional sensitivity. Drawing from a representative sample of German game players, the results indicate that emotionally sensitive players are using online gaming spaces differently from their less emotionally sensitive counterparts and reporting tangible differences in their in-game friendship networks. This suggests that online games hold the potential to be socially advantageous for shy individuals by allowing them to overcome their traditional social difficulties and generate new friendships as well as strengthen old ones.

SIRR: SIRG Research Reports, 2014

Digital gaming is a still expanding activity and many games are engaged in together with others. The study builds on previous research investigating social digital gaming using a representative survey sample. The aim is to investigate who the social gamers and social gaming companions are in order to capture this growing practise. Logistic regression models and descriptive statistics are used to analyse the data. Using a representative sample of digital game users, the results show support for the importance of separating different social gaming contexts according to the relational status of gaming companions. Furthermore, results show, contrary to expectations that male gamers are more social than female gamers. Also, social gamers where younger, had higher achieved education, where more dedicated and spent more time on gaming. However, different social gaming contexts, gaming with family/frinds/strangers online, where all predicted by different variables.

Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2015

Computer games play a large role in socialization and the consequences of playing them have been a topic of debates. This observation led the researcher to conduct the study about the influence of computer games on the social skills of the BSIT first year students of Pangasinan State University, Bayambang Campus, during school year 2012-2013. This study determined the profile of the 115 BSIT first year students according to: preferred computer games and frequency of playing. It investigated the level of social skills among playing and non-playing gamers. This study used the descriptive-comparative method of research. It was found out that crossfire was the most preferred computer game played at least once a week. Computer gamers had lower social skills than non-computer gamers. Gamers have more negative social behaviors compared to non-gamers and there is a negative effect of playing computer games on the level of social skills among first year students. There is a significant difference in the level of social skills of the students when grouped according to frequency of playing computer games. Students who play computer games everyday had significantly lower social skills than who play once a week. Thus, parents and teachers should give proper guidance in the limitation of playing computer games and the choice of games. Teachers should organize seminars on the awareness of the influence and negative effects of violent computer games on social skills. And students should choose educational over violent games to enhance their knowledge and social skills.

Computers in Human Behavior

In recent years, there have been rising concerns about the impact of online video game play on users’ socialization, particularly among adolescent players. The current study addresses one of these concerns and evaluates the relationship between social online game play and the size and quality of users’ social circles. Using a representative sample of adolescent players, the results provide support preliminary support for the presence of social displacement effects. Increased social online video game play, but not social offline video game play, was found to correspond with smaller, and lower quality, offline social circles. However, further research is needed to assess the potential causal relationships between these variables as well as their impact on everyday social functioning.

2006

Millions of people play online games around the world, some for forty hours per week or more. Speculation abounds about both the positive and negative effects such a popular and time intensive activity might have on those who take part in it. In order to investigate how participation in these virtual worlds and the communities surrounding them might affect the player, three general research questions are posed. What factors contribute to players reporting that gaming has gone beyond being an engaging pass-time and begun to cause problems in their real life? Does play lead to social isolation or, instead, to an ex-pansion in the social connectedness a player feels? Does involvement in online gaming lead to depression or can participation reduce depressive affect? Following a pilot survey involving 1836 respondents, a revised online survey was used to gather information from avid gamers about their gaming habits, attitudes, and feelings. Employing a longitudinal design, three waves of...

Computer game playing is a popular leisure activity. However, there is little known about the longer-term effects that regular computer game playing could have on social development. A questionnaire study was conducted with 144 undergraduate students examining frequency of computer game playing behaviour against scores on the Social Situ- ations Questionnaire designed to identify social inadequacy. Results showed that high frequency computer game players exhibited more social anxiety than low frequency game players. Possible explanations for this relationship are linked to high frequency computer game playing compromising the attainment of social skills during childhood and adolescence.

Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global, 2016

The increased popularity of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) has resulted in more people playing online games at excessive rates. This genre of game can integrate with a player’s sense of self, and often reinforces continued play to the extent of the game threatening the structure of their life, including levels of functioning in school, work, and relationships. One area of research in need of further investigation is how personality theory can expand counselors’ understanding of motivational conditions involved in online video game play. Understanding this culture of individuals, particularly pertaining to how playing the game relates to personality and motivation, may have relevance for counselor education and supervision. The neglect of “real” world responsibilities or relationships could result in interpersonal difficulties in which counseling services would prove beneficial. Exploring potential effects between personality type and motivation through application of already existing measurement tools is one method of broadening professional understanding of the problem. This study was designed to identify main effects between personality type and player motivations present in consumers of this form of media. Results from this study are intended provide useful information for the treatment of those who develop associated problems relating to their patterns of play. The structure of this study looked for similarities and differences across personality types, as defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the various motivations for playing MMORPG games identified in current game-related research. For this purpose, participation involved the completion of online questionnaires (MBTI-M and MPOGQ) by players of the specific online game targeted for this study; Star Wars: The Old Republic. Significant differences across certain personality types were found in most gaming motivation categories. This study also explored the connection between the single-letter attitudes (I/E) and functions (S/N, T/F, and J/P) and gaming motivations. Additional research questions explored the similarities/differences for personality and motivation for variables pertaining to structures within the game, in an effort to establish which activities appeal to various personalities. Findings suggest personality does have an impact on the manner in which MMORPG players seek to participate in their game of choice.

Educators agree gaming encourages learners to gain a new perspective through active engagement in collaborative decision making to solve problems. This study investigated the research question: How will each of the four types of gaming personality in online learning (i.e., Explorer, Socializer, Killer, & Achiever) respectively predict the level of gaming dynamics in online discussion environments? This study concludes that three types of gaming personalities can serve as the predictors for gaming dynamics in a gamified online discussion environment. In other words, online learners whose gaming preferences and motivations are in Socializer, Achiever, and Explorer, are more likely to be motivated, more satisfied, and actively engage in online discussion environments. Purposes This study investigated the research question: How will each of the four types of gaming personality in online learning (i.e., Explorer, Socializer, Killer, & Achiever) respectively predict the level of gaming dynamics in online discussion environments? Theoretical Framework Educators agree gaming encourages learners to gain a new perspective through active engagement in collaborative decision making to solve problems (Gee, 2003; Huang et al., 2010; Reese et al., 2011). Gamification is the use of game mechanics to drive gamelike engagements and actions. It applies game mechanics, dynamics, and frameworks to promote desired learning behaviors (Lee & Hammer, 2011). Game mechanics are principles, rules, and/or mechanisms that direct a desired behavior through a system of

2014

Some researchers believe that online gaming spaces can be socially accommodating environments for socially inhibited individuals, such as the socially inept, socially anxious, or shy. Whilst previous research has examined, and found, significant links between these populations and online video game play, it remains unknown to what extent these spaces are contributing to tangible social benefits for the socially inhibited. The current study addresses this question by evaluating the link between gaming-related friendships and shyness, as quantified by emotional sensitivity. Drawing from a representative sample of German game players, the results indicate that emotionally sensitive players are using online gaming spaces differently from their less emotionally sensitive counterparts and reporting tangible differences in their in-game friendship networks. This suggests that online games hold the potential to be socially advantageous for shy individuals by allowing them to overcome their traditional social difficulties and generate new friendships as well as strengthen old ones.