The role of passion on the costs and benefits of online video gaming (Lafrenière et al., 2009)

This post is what I picked at the 2009 CPA convention in Montreal.

I am quite surprised that there are psychological studies on video games in Canada, but none have a passionate focus as do the Americans, IMO. Speaking of passion, Marc-André Lafrenière and colleagues from UQAM have applied their theories of passion unto massively multiplayer online gaming. Lafrenière presented at the symposium and also had this study published in Cyberpsychology & Behavior.

Abstract

The dualistic model of passion defines passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that a person likes and values and in which he or she invests time and energy. The model proposes two distinct types of passion: harmonious and obsessive passion that predict adaptive and less adaptive outcomes respectively. In the present research, we were interested in assessing both the negative and positive consequences that can result from gaming. Participants (n¼222) were all players involved in massively multiplayer online games. They completed an online survey. Results from a canonical correlation revealed that both harmonious and obsessive passion were positively associated with the experience of positive affect while playing. However, only obsessive passion was also positively related to the experience of negative affect while playing. In addition, only obsessive passion was positively related to problematic behaviors generally associated with excessive gaming, the amount of time spent playing, and negative physical symptoms. Moreover, obsessive passion was negatively related to self-realization and unrelated to life satisfaction. Conversely, harmonious passion was positively associated with both types of psychological well-being. This general pattern of results suggests that obsessive passion for gaming is an important predictor of the negative outcomes of gaming, while harmonious passion seems to account for positive consequences. Future research directions are discussed in light of the dualistic model of passion.

I got the abstract from the authors’ pre-press copy of their study from Cyberpsychology and Behavior. I’m really annoyed about not being able to get the latest issue of that journal since I have to wait three months to get the full-text copies and IMO has the highest publishing rate on video game-related studies.

Who and why play World of Warcraft (Orr & Ross, 2009)

This post is what I picked up at 2009 CPA convention in Montreal.

Motivation and personality isn’t my research portfolio, I like to see what pushes a person around at the mesosystem (interactions with friends or people on the internet, etc.) to exosystem (e.g. mass media or watching anime) level (see Bronfenbrenner’s). Emily Orr and Craig Ross of the University of Windsor were the first speakers at the social and personality online symposium at CPA convention 2009.

Abstract

McKenna and Bargh (2004) argue that the use of online communication tools will, in part, be determined by personality characteristics and motives. World of Warcraft (WoW) is an online gaming venue that allows for the formation of personal connections through interactive game-play allowing for potentially rich social relationships. The present study investigated the types of individualswho use WoW and their reasons for using WoW. An online study was conducted with undergraduate students to explore these research questions. Self-report measures were administered to assess WoW use, personality, and motives for playing WoW. Results revealed that Conscientiousness was negatively correlated with time spent using WoW, indicating that frequent WoW users are less likely to be responsible and scrupulous in their daily chores and activities. Moreover, it was found that time spent on WoW was positively correlated with entertainment and relaxation motives. Conversely, motives for showing affection, appearing fashionable, feeling involved, and being sociable were negatively correlated with time spent on WoW. Surprisingly, the motive of escaping problems was not correlated with time spent on WoW. The implications of these findings, as well as limitations of the study and directions for future research will be discussed.

This abstract is taken from the abstract book for the convention, and their study is ongoing and if anyone’s interested, please participate in their online study here. Once again, the info is from my memories and the slides they provided.

Emotional memory in violent video game players and non-players (Bowen & Spaniol, 2009)

This post is what I picked up at the 2009 CPA convention in Montreal.

My first CPA convention was rather less than exciting, the subjects there are very broad and I guess I would have been more excited if I were in a topic-specific conference. Nevertheless and statistically speaking, you will at least find a subject that interests you the most. I did found some people whose research touches on video games and so I will report (from poor memory) what I found at the 2009 CPA convention.

Holly Bowen of Ryerson University is the first one to send her poster and gets the first treatment.

Abstract

The present study examined whether chronic exposure to violent media was associated with alterations in emotional long-term memory. Based on previous research on desensitization (e.g., Bartholow et al., 2007), we predicted that violent video game players would show lower recognition accuracy for negative images in general and for violent images in particular, compared to a control group of non-players. This prediction was derived from the finding that violent video game playing reduces physiological arousal during the encoding of violent stimuli. Participants completed an old-new recognition task with 300 IAPS images (negative nonviolent, violent, neutral and positive). Violent video game players (N = 42) were matched to non-players (N = 42) on several personality characteristics, including aggression and irritability. Memory accuracy, measured by d’, showed no significant effects of group or valence. However, across both groups, there was a significant effect of valence on the response criterion, C. Specifically, subjects were significantly more liberal in their responses for violent and negative nonviolent stimuli, followed by positive and most conservative in their responses for neutral stimuli.

The following information is based from her poster presentation and, of course, my knowledge and conversation with Bowen (if I remember correctly).

Why video game effects research is flawed (Lavigne, 2009)

I was busy preparing my poster presentation for CPA for the past few weeks. Chris LaVigne has once again written something on video game effects research in Maisonneuve, but this time his focus is on the researchers side of things. I poster my comment in his post, albeit it was too long (over 3000 characters) and I forgot to save my comment for later.

His article at Maisonneuve.

Smack talk in professional wrestling (Tamborini et al., 2008)

This post is a part of series of study reviews written by professors whom I have an interest in joining as their grad student.

Ronald Tamborini and many other professors in the Communications department of Michigan State University are involved with new media research and many of them towards video games. Looking at the faculty page, I believe this department affords me the best flexibility in terms of research paths since there’s a wide variety of interests and specializations among the professors, in particular Joseph B. Walter who wrote extensively on computer-mediated communication, a key component in multiplayer video games research.

I hate professional wrestling (read as staged), it’s all fake and yet the crowds clamour for more, especially when kids are watching this. I prefer hockey than wrestling since elements of competition and tests of skill is more meaningful than the shallow “feuds” between wrestlers.

Why is it related to video games? It would serve as an impetus for video game smack talk study, some games like Unreal Tournament

Internet smack talk

series have some smack talk, some other immature “mature-rated” games or any multiplayer video games, like Team Fortress 2 or Counter-Strike also has some smack talk (depending on many factors), but I don’t know since there are no studies of such kind and I’m out of the loop by several years, I read about video games, but not necessarily play them, such is the poor life of an academician and an adult, mind you.

Abstract

The current study presents the results of a content analysis of the verbal aggression found in 36 hours of televised professional wrestling. The coding scheme was adapted from the National Television Violence Study and past research on television verbal aggression. Results show that an abundance of verbal aggression occurs in televised professional wrestling, with swearing, competence attacks, and character attacks being the most common types. In addition, the primary motives for verbal aggression use are amusement and anger. Furthermore, verbal aggression tends to be communicated and received by White, male individuals with no clear dispositional characteristics. The results are discussed in terms of potential effects of exposure to the verbal aggression found in professional wrestling.

Once again, this is a type-content analysis study where the medium itself is analysed with no human experimentation or participants involved.

The Science News Cycle as seen by PHD Comics (Cham, 2009)

I love this comic and it is the best graphical representation of how scientific studies as cycled through from researchers to the general public.

The science news cycle

One of my suggestions is to skip the university PR Office (if possible) and make our own press release with different standards (usually writing not thinking about the general public’s… disposition, trying to be nice here). See more of PHD comics.

Player characteristics and its impact on violent video game content (Lachlan & Maloney, 2008)

This post is a part of series of study reviews written by professors whom I have an interest in joining as their grad student.

Kenneth Lachlan is a pupil of Ron Tamborini whom he’s also on the list. Given their research methodology concerning media research and more specifically video games, it seems that many of their works are on content analysis. It does seems interesting and insightful in careful analysis of what players do and see during game play, but data collection can be an arduous process. Moreover, many of their works mainly analyzed a medium of interest, say violent video games or violent television, without any input from the audience. So, most of their discussions revolved around the implications of said content, this left me a bit unsatisfied if I were to write this kind of study.

However, IMO content analysis can be classified as basic science, where it provides the foundations for applied science and therefore provide background information for future applied studies.

The current study is an indication of this opinion where content analysis and media effects research is combined to provide an insightful look into violent video game play and how players’ in-game behaviours varies according to personality and game content.

Abstract

The methodological techniques used in past video game content analyses overlook player differences that might play an important role in generating violent content. The current study aimed to explore these differences in terms of personality type, trait hostility, perceived realism, and telepresence tendency. One hundred and sixty participants were assigned to play one of four video games after filling out a series of personality inventories. Content was then evaluated using coding techniques adapted from prior video game content analyses (Smith, Lachlan, & Tamborini, 2003). The findings indicated that game content is highly variable across player characteristics and telepresence tendencies.

It is said that the advisor(s) we choose partly determine our future; it’s like being in the character creation screen of many Western RPGs or choosing a locked research path in an RTS…

Blood and point of view in violent video games and its effect on reactive aggression (Krcmar & Farrar, 2009)

This post is a part of series of study reviews written by professors whom I have an interest in joining as their grad student.

Marina Krcmar, Kirstie Farrar and Kristine Nowak are being considered to be good advisors when I’m applying for grad school for this fall. Their names have shown up a lot in my research library, their research leans pretty much on the technical aspects of video games and this study reflects such leanings.

In this study, they’re looking into two aspects: point of view and the presence of blood in violent video games.

Abstract

In this study, an experimental design was utilized to test, first, the effect of a violent game versus a no game control on physical and verbal aggression and retaliatory aggression against a confederate. In addition, the effects of two internal video game manipulations were explored. Overall, those in the violent game condition were more verbally and physically aggressive than those in the no game condition. In terms of internal game features, third-person play with the blood on, especially when combined with aggressive cognitions and to some extent, hostile affect, encouraged more aggressive outcomes.

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication has post on it and a link to the full-text study.

The problem with journalists’ interpretation of video game research (Lavigne, 2009)

I don’t often read the Escapist, but when I do, it’s very good writing. Chris Lavigne wrote a very good article on the problems with journalism and scientific reporting. It’s a good read, I agree so heartily with many of his points that it reminds why I started this blog.

One common theme through his paper is that journalists simplify for viewers to the point that vital information is lost where readers will eventually read scientific findings as if it were black and white. They mostly write it to the tune of the lowest common denominator, the perceived average middle-class person with no video game experience.

In my opinion, journalists seemed to be pressured, either by their editors, political ideology, prestige or for financial costs, to limit their words to the point of filtering out information. I once took a glance at a newspaper from 50 years ago and compared to today’s, those old newspaper looked like short novels! What happened today? Am I making sense or is this blog coherent? Sorry just going with the mind flow (it is a blog anyways)…

I am also pleased that Chris pointed the irony with video game journalists of trumpeting research that positive research uncritically (like his word choice) and trumpeting negative research in a different tune. It’s the same when you read the comments on these articles, go take a look at gamepolitics comment section. It’s always the same spiel, nothing constructive that I just stop commenting seriously.

Pathological video game use among 8 to 18 year olds (Gentile, 2009)

One of the reasons of my procrastination, it's not the guitar playing

I realized I haven’t posted anything in almost a month. I have no excuses beside the usual procrastination and multi-tasking. Oh, I got 84 participants when I officially finished testing. Many people says it’s great, but it’s not when you realize you’re going to dump 10 or so participants from your analyses because of the way they did during testing…

Anyways, gamepolitics posted up an upcoming article by Dr. Douglas A. Gentile about pathological use among 8 to 18 year olds. I was trying to find an excuse not to read and write and I have found it. The data was from a 2007 Harris poll and this covered back then before I started this blog. So, here’s a link from a 2007 Harris article (PDF file) and here’s the gamepolitics article back then.

Abstract

Researchers have studied whether some youth are “addicted” to video games, but previous studies are based on regional convenience samples. This study gathered information from a national sample about video gaming habits, parent involvement in gaming, and the percentage that meet DSM-style criteria for pathological gaming. A Harris poll surveyed a randomly selected sample of 1,178 American youth aged 8 to 18. About eight percent of video game players exhibited pathological patterns of play. Several indicators documented convergent and divergent validity, including pathological gamers (compared to non-pathological gamers) spending twice as much time playing, showing comorbidity with attention problems, and receiving poorer grades in school. Pathological status significantly predicted poorer school performance even after controlling for sex, age, and weekly amount of video game play. These results confirm that pathological gaming can be measured reliably, that the construct demonstrates validity, and that it is not simply isomorphic with a high amount of play.

I might have a few general comments which I thought during my bus trip home. Here’s the university press release and the journal article.