Female Video Game Players: A Different Type of Player?

Female gamers: A thematic analysis of their
gaming experience

Lavinia McLean & Professor Mark Griffiths
(Nottingham Trent University)

Interactive Technologies and Games: Education, Health and
Disability: Nottingham, 2012.

Lavinia McLean & Mark Griffiths (2012) 1

Gender differences in gaming
Males play for longer and more frequently (Rideout,
Roberts & Foehr, 2005; Olsen et al, 2009).
Gender differences due to socialisation, design or
gender specific skills.
Is there a change occurring: Entertainment software
Association (2012) data suggest females over 18 years
fastest growing demographic.
Males and females attracted to different genre of
games.


Attraction to gaming
Social Interaction (Cole & Griffiths,
2007).
Relaxation (Snodgrass, Lacy, Denagh,
Fagan & Most, 2011)
Escape (Klimmit, Hefner & Vorderer,
2009).
Stereotypical characters in games (Dill &
Thill, 2007).


Research on female gamers
The experience of females playing of games.
The impact of violent video games on males
and females.
Are these findings relevant to females who
prefer to play violent video games?
Some indications that females dislike violent
content, competitive elements and stereotypical
characters (Griffiths, Davies & Chappell, 2004;
Lucas & Sherry, 2004; Hartmann & Klimmit,
2006).


Present Research
Publicgaming discussion forum.
Favourite games: FPS, RPG, action, horror.
May 2011-May 2012: 409 discussions.
Thematic Analysis
Social
Game/Platform
Miscellaneous
Attitudes/Opinions


.

ATTITUDES & OPINIONS DISCUSSIONS
Table 1: Main categories identified
within “attitudes/opinions” Inductive thematic
discussions and the corresponding
discussion threads and number of analysis.
replies
Threads Posts Coded into four main
Playing Online 10 297
categories based on title
Characters 13 533 and content.
Gaming Habits 9 329
Coded for actual and

Male vs 11 200
semantic meaning.
Female Three main themes
Totals 43 1359 emerged.


Social Interaction
 Interaction peripheral to gaming
“Its great to know that these ladies share the same interest
because I personally know few girls who game” (F2) .
Playing with significant others, particularly families.
In contrast to previous research (Cole & Griffiths, 2007).
Online interaction.

“People would talk over me and ignore everything I said..kicked
me out of guild soon after”
Sexism, abusive language, unwanted advances and threats.
Male and female behaviour.


Identity
 Identity laboratories (Klimmit, Hefner & Vorderer, 2009).
“She’s so realistic...she doesn't have huge boobs or skimpy clothes”
(A12)
 Self Identification with characters: physically and in terms of
personality characteristics.
“ She is kind hearted and soft spoken, kinda like me (T2)
 Inspiring characters.
“Shes my hero and we look alike” (B2)
 Females assuming virtual identity, for different reasons to
previous research.
“Its annoying why cant I just be me, without having to hide behind
other non gender related gametag” (MJ1).


Integration
 Gaming integrated into their lives.
 Time spent playing indicating a flexibility.

“If I didnt have a full time job, it’d be more like 60+ [hours a
week]” (LD1)
 Form of escapism

“I don't mind the skimpy outfits, its like Halloween to me,
pretending to be someone else”
 Relaxation

“It helps me to unwind from a long day at work, a stress
reliever”


Conclusions
Move away from “bikini clad girl with an arsenal of
weapons” (C3)
Stereotypical characters offer a way to escape.
Gaming key element of their identity but
integrated into their lives.
Identity linked to own gaming but also to
behaviour of others online.
Similar to research with other genre of games
social interaction key attraction to gaming.
Playing for enjoyment, not just because of others.


Future Research
Reliance on secondary data and different
samples.
All female posters?
May represent a particular group of participants
only.
Have we underestimated numbers of female
gamers?
Females indicating a similar attraction to these
video games, other research needed on female
gamers?


“Because its fun!! And exploding
heads are also pretty satisfying!”
(SF1)


References
 Cole, H. & Griffiths, M. (2007). Social interaction in massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers.
CyberPsychology and Behavior, 10, 575 – 58.
 Dill, K. E., & Thill, K. P. (2007).Video game characters and the socialization of gender roles:Young
people’s perceptions mirror sexist media depictions. Sex Roles, 57, 851 – 864.
 Griffiths, M. D., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2003). Breaking the stereotype: The case of online
gaming. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 7, 479 – 487.
 Griffiths, M. D., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2004). Online computer gaming: A comparison of
adolescent and adult gamers. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 87 – 96.
 Hartmann, T., & Klimmt, C. (2006). Gender and computer games: Exploring females' dislikes. Journal of
Computer-Mediated Communication, 11, 910 – 931.
 Klimmt, C., Hefner, H., & Vorderer, P. (2009). The video game experience as “true” identification: A
theory of enjoyable alterations of players’ self-perception. Communication Theory, 19, 351 – 373.
 Lucas, K. & Sherry, J. L. (2004). Sex differences in video game play: A communication-based explanation.
Communication Research, 31, 499 – 523.
 Olson, C. K., Kutner, L. A., Warner, D. E., Almerigi, J. B., Baer, L., Nicholi, A. M. & Beresin, E. V. (2007).
Factors correlated with violent video game use by adolescent boys and girls. Journal of Adolescent
Health, 41, 77 – 83.
 Roberts, D. F., Foehr, U. G., & Rideout, V. J. (2005). Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 year-olds.
Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation.
 Snodgrass, J. G., Lacy, M.G., Denagh, H.J., Fagan, J. & Most, D. E. (2011). Magical flight and monstrous
stress: Technologies of absorption and mental wellness in Azeroth. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 35,
26 – 62.


Female Video Game Players: A Different Type of Player?

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Semelhante a Female Video Game Players: A Different Type of Player?

Semelhante a Female Video Game Players: A Different Type of Player? (20)

Mais de Interactive Technologies and Games: Education, Health and Disability

Mais de Interactive Technologies and Games: Education, Health and Disability (20)

Female Video Game Players: A Different Type of Player?