Do Video Games Affect Personality?

[FalloutJack]

Interesting.

Very very interesting, in fact. Greetings, I have had some courses in Psychology as well, including Media Psychology shortly before graduation. Though it was never my major, I feel that I took enough away from the subject to be able to speak on the matter.

It is my theory that, in gaming, no personality that did not exist in prior can be manifested in an individual. That is, whatever they express comes from what was already inherent in their minds to begin with. It is merely a question of how the gamme stimulates them and if that stimulation reaches some potential they have...or a dead end.

For instance, a person who is not - psychologically speaking - keen on violent acts outside of games may feel the pull of adrenaline during an FPS, but this will not make him more violent in attitude. The games probably don't change people at their core is what I'm saying. The violence makes the games, not vice versa.

In any case, I have filled out your survey. Good hunting.

 

[Harriet Swartout]

Demon ID - I'm very much a gamer, though not so much an online gamer. I wanted to do something that 1. I find personally interesting to keep motivation and 2. that doesn't just generalize video games as a whole. Thanks for asking.

 

[Harriet Swartout]

FalloutJack - it's very interesting to hear your theory! personality is one of those areas of psychology that are a complete minefield, there are so many conflicting views. If your personal theory is that personality is innate and unchangable, do you think people can be drawn to certain genres of video game due to these traits? this is partially what I will be examining (Cause and effect).

 

[COMaestro]

Reading the exclusions, I do not play any MMO's at this time and have not for close to 10 years, and my FPS gaming tends to be few and far between, so definitely not with the amount per week asked for. So unfortunately my input would not be helpful for this particular study.

 

[Harriet Swartout]

COMaestro - thanks for taking a look anyway

 

[Kiyeri]

I'd help you out, but I don't play MMOs and I really dislike FPSs. Best of luck getting results!

PS: Instead of typing out the person you're replying to's name, you can use the quote button in the top right corner of the post. It makes it much easier for people to see you've replied to them instead of having to check the thread. Just a tip to help you out, welcome to The Escapist!

 

[Harriet Swartout]

I'd help you out, but I don't play MMOs and I really dislike FPSs. Best of luck getting results!

PS: Instead of typing out the person you're replying to's name, you can use the quote button in the top right corner of the post. It makes it much easier for people to see you've replied to them instead of having to check the thread. Just a tip to help you out, welcome to The Escapist!

Thankyou! I'm new to forums, can you tell?

 

[Vuliev]

Done. Who knows, maybe your study will get an article here on the Escapist!

 

[Harriet Swartout]

Done. Who knows, maybe your study will get an article here on the Escapist!

That would be awesome haha

 

[FalloutJack]

FalloutJack - it's very interesting to hear your theory! personality is one of those areas of psychology that are a complete minefield, there are so many conflicting views. If your personal theory is that personality is innate and unchangable, do you think people can be drawn to certain genres of video game due to these traits? this is partially what I will be examining (Cause and effect).

In the general sense, I believe that violent media was created as a direct result of people's frustrations and the need for an outlet. It's therapy. We all get angry, so we relieve tensions in some manner. This case, it's an interactive media where the runoff from your temper is translated into (just to take Doom for an example) making demons of hell pay for your misery. Guaranteed, you feel more relaxed later.

The video game violence thing has been an issue for a long time. (I first read about it when I was a child, regarding the original Mortal Kombat.) They are no closer to solving that one because I think of them as attacking the problem backwards. Many want to link games to violence as though media were infectious, but all of those cases where one might think a game or movie caused a man to go nuts were just inconclusive.

No, it's because the people involved had, themselves, some sort of instability. I have seen a number of cases of acting out in reference to media. The man who shot up a bunch of people on the opening night of The Dark Knight Rises while in costume was not changed by the movies. He was using it as an excuse. The guy who claimed to use FPSs to train himself to shoot rifles was an idiot, as there is no connection between the use of a gun in real life VS a video game. I've used a rifle, so I should know. The list goes on.

What I believe is that there are some sick people out there, but they were sick long before anything in media came to them.

BTW: Hitting the quote button will get replies quicker, as it sends a PM to the user quoted.

 

[DkLnBr]

There, done the survey! happy to help

I would suggest that certain personalities are more drawn to games rather than games shaping certain personalities, however. Although gaming has become such a broad medium that I expect most people would enjoy at least a few.

This is what I always thought, that rather than "you have your personality because you play certain games", it was more like "you play certain games because of your personality"

 

[Harriet Swartout]

FalloutJack - it's very interesting to hear your theory! personality is one of those areas of psychology that are a complete minefield, there are so many conflicting views. If your personal theory is that personality is innate and unchangable, do you think people can be drawn to certain genres of video game due to these traits? this is partially what I will be examining (Cause and effect).

In the general sense, I believe that violent media was created as a direct result of people's frustrations and the need for an outlet. It's therapy. We all get angry, so we relieve tensions in some manner. This case, it's an interactive media where the runoff from your temper is translated into (just to take Doom for an example) making demons of hell pay for your misery. Guaranteed, you feel more relaxed later.

The video game violence thing has been an issue for a long time. (I first read about it when I was a child, regarding the original Mortal Kombat.) They are no closer to solving that one because I think of them as attacking the problem backwards. Many want to link games to violence as though media were infectious, but all of those cases where one might think a game or movie caused a man to go nuts were just inconclusive.

No, it's because the people involved had, themselves, some sort of instability. I have seen a number of cases of acting out in reference to media. The man who shot up a bunch of people on the opening night of The Dark Knight Rises while in costume was not changed by the movies. He was using it as an excuse. The guy who claimed to use FPSs to train himself to shoot rifles was an idiot, as there is no connection between the use of a gun in real life VS a video game. I've used a rifle, so I should know. The list goes on.

What I believe is that there are some sick people out there, but they were sick long before anything in media came to them.

BTW: Hitting the quote button will get replies quicker, as it sends a PM to the user quoted.

I agree with this. Too much influence is placed upon isolated incidents strung out by other media methods as opposed to the whole story. In my opinion, a huge amount of research into video game violence does not take into account the changing environment as a whole in terms of desensitization and evolution in terms of emotional perception and awareness at a younger age due in part to these factors. It's important not to see video games as a sole cause of behaviour and traits but as it is so pervasive in a lot of western (and other) culture today it is at least a contributing variable.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

There ya go. Filled it out, just for you.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Filled. Although that kinda felt more like a questionnaire that you'd receive on a job interview or something, not anything actually related to a game.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Done.

Not sure how much help I could be, though, seeing as how I'm not an avid MMORPG or MFPS player.

 

[Harriet Swartout]

Filled. Although that kinda felt more like a questionnaire that you'd receive on a job interview or something, not anything actually related to a game.

That's because the personality questionnaire used is the generic NEO/OCEAN official questionnaire. I don't have permissions (or enough experience) to alter it for my purposes.

 

[TyrunnAlberyn]

Done. Good luck with your dissertation.

I am personally rather curious as to whether or not a survey with those questions allows you to also determine the line between personality and personality disorder in gamers in those genres, although I doubt it with the limited question options you have.

 

[Harriet Swartout]

Done. Good luck with your dissertation.

I am personally rather curious as to whether or not a survey with those questions allows you to also determine the line between personality and personality disorder in gamers in those genres, although I doubt it with the limited question options you have.

I don't think it would do, but if I chose to re-examine the study for my postgrad (more time and funding) it could be something I could look into then.

 

[Milanezi]

I tend to let the real me (mood-of-the-day included) influence my decisions in games, however, the knowledge that i can alway reload or restart or something makes decisions in games SO MUCH EASIER... For instance, Hitman: Absolution, it's a great game but failed to grasp my attention and "perfectionism" the way the rest of the franchise used to. The whole "just get to the door unnoticed" and "you're being hunted" totally killed the Hitman mood for me to the point that sometimes I see myself just shooting my way to the end of the level (something I'd never do if in other Hitman games). However, if a game truly pleases me and is genuine in making me feel like I'm in control, like Fallout 3, then I let the real take control and take the decisions based on what I'd do if I was placed in a similar situation.
I don't play MMORPG OR FPS Online, the lack of a story and "interactivity" takes away any pleasure in gaming for me. As far as online goes I only do co-op online and only if it's integrated with the campaign in some way.

 

[Auron]

I found it funny how I exceed the maximum hours per week for both genres.