Holy wall of text! For the maybe one other person who will actually read this, I thank you! I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this little piece I found. It is an investigation of differentiation between virtual and real space and how that links to violent manifestations in reality.
Enjoy!
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Understanding Reality: Video Games and the Boundary between Virtual and Real Space
Video games have fast become one of the great pastimes for Americans, whether they have grown up with such ?classic? systems as the Super Nintendo 20 years ago or, like today?s youth, are inundated with technological advances on consoles and computers from an early age. Cecilie Gaziano (2007) states that ?The United States has witnessed unprecedented rates of violent victimization and perpetration,? amongst out youth, scholars are searching for the source of the issue (p. 219-220). Many turn to video games. ?Concern about the possible negative effects of violent video games has been accompanied by a boom in research? (p. 523) according to James D. Ivory et. all (2007). The research shows that the link is not as solid as was expected, although there is some link to video games and violence/relationship deterioration. Video games on their own are not the source of the increase of violence and understanding this is one of the keys to discovering the true root of the issue. It all comes down to discovering where gamers draw their boundaries between video games and reality, between virtual and real space. This literature review examines this boundary between virtual and real space and how video games affect perceptions of reality.
Literature Review
Research over the past decade, especially since the Columbine school shootings, has shown that the link between violent video games and real manifestations of violence is weak at best. James Ivory, et. all (2007), in a study designed to gauge player?s physiological arousal (increased heartbeat, etc.), were surprised to learn that when playing violent content, no such effect was observed. ?Other violent media have been found to be particularly conducive to arousal, so one interpretation of this null finding is that with video games, content may not be as meaningful as other game dimensions (p. 548).? Their findings show that in video games, players are able to draw their own line to differentiate between the game space and the real space. They know what they are playing is not real and are able to eventually walk away from the activity knowing they have experienced a virtual world.
This is not to say that video games have absolutely no impact on a person?s perception of reality. On the contrary, Rebecca Chory, et. all (2007) have found that, ?the more frequently individuals play video games, the higher their levels of trait [violent aggression] tend to be.? (p.117) It must be noted that violent aggression is defined by Chory as, ?attacking the self-concept of another person instead of, or in addition to, the person?s position on a topic of communication,? and NOT the sort of violence associated with school shootings. In addition, according to Matthew Eastin, male gamers have an acutely increased aggressiveness against female avatars (or characters) in game space, even though, according to Eastin, ?40% of the video game market is comprised of women (p. 351).? ?When playing with a male avatar against a female human, aggressive thoughts were relatively high (p. 363).? In addition, ?when a female player was presented as a male in the environment while playing against a female, aggressive thoughts were relatively low (p.359).? Finally, further research by Rebecca Chory, et. all (2009) shows that individuals with an addiction or dependence on gaming, ?associated with less frequent relational maintenance, particularly less frequent use of the strategies involving dealing with disagreements and performing household duties (p.51).?
These findings suggest that the boundary of interpersonal competition is either blurred or non-existent. When an individual competes against another, they feel the need to ?trash talk? and belittle the opponent, even if that opponent is playing on a separate system hundreds of miles away, connected only through the internet. Several in-game machinations have formed as manifestations of VA, such as the lewd ritual of tea bagging an opponent upon defeat. Because of the interaction with other people during competitive play, perhaps is it more difficult for players to categorize such play as purely virtual or purely interpersonal in a real sense, causing VA and other forms of aggressive thoughts to manifest themselves both on and off the field.
Players also have difficulty identifying such increases of aggressive thoughts in themselves, but have no problem pointing it out in others. Ron Leone, et. all (2006) defined this as the ?Third Person Effect,? ?the notion that most individuals see themselves as less susceptible to negative media influence than others (p. 261).? In their study, adolescents were able to easily point to examples of how others in their surroundings have been influenced by violent media while holding themselves less accountable. Leone offers one explanation by stating, ?The third-person perceptual effect in this study may stem from the unique developmental stage experienced by our respondents, in which they typically perceive themselves to be impervious to harm of any sort (p. 279).? This finding is particularly troubling, if not unexpected. In another study on the same topic, however, Ron Leone et. all (2008) state that, ?parental rules and concern predicted views of susceptibility to negative influence of self and others in this study tentatively suggests that? influence from parents is still felt (p.227).? The issue of child rearing is again brought up in a study by Cecilie Gaziano (2001). She states that, ?Children of parents who feel powerless and who attempt to assert power through angry, harsh, punitive attitudes? may be especially drawn toward the depiction of violent power options in mass media and video games (p. 237).? She suggests that ?weak parenting? is more of a predictor of violence than the engaging in violent video games themselves, that such activity may be a manifestation rather than a cause.
In the end, the ability to draw the line between video game and reality seems to be the crucial piece of evidence in the case that video games are not the cause of increased violence among youth. Being able to differentiate is crucial. One notable video game experience attempted to destroy that line and within a year had ceased sales due to failure. T.L. Taylor, et. all (2003) investigate the lifespan of the game, Majestic. Majestic was a game that took place in real space (rather than a virtual environment) by, ?mixing phone calls, faxes, instant messaging, real and ?fake? websites, and email. (p.497)? The game would force itself into a player?s reality by presenting them with page after page of back story and documentation. The eventual collapse came about because players were forced to their reality to fit into the game-space. They were not an avatar on a screen, but a real person supposed to be wrapped up in the great mystery of the Majestic project. Over time, ?[while] it presented themes that resonated with players and highlighted the indeterminate nature of knowledge, the game retreated when that connection became too powerful, too troubling (p.510).? Players had no way to draw the line between their real life and the video game space and, within a year, Majestic was gone.
Conclusion
The abundance of research shows that video games do not have the direct effect on the upswing of violence among youth in the United States that was initially belived. Research into physical reactions of gamers show that physiological effects are somewhat isolated during video game play. As long as players are able to differentiate between real space and virtual space, the two versions of reality can coexist. Gamers even have a history of rejecting when that line is blurred and the experience becomes too real. Players want the chance to immerse themselves in their entertainment, but they do not want their entertainment to become their reality.
References
Banfield, S., & Chory, R. (2009). Media Dependence and Relational Maintenance in Interpersonal Relationships. Communication Reports , 41-53.
Chory, R. M., & Cicchirillo, V. (2007). The Relationship between Video Game Play and Trait Verbal Aggressiveness: An Application of the General Aggression Model. Communication Research Reports , 113-119.
Eastin, M. S. (2006). Video Game Violence and the Female Game Player: Self- and Opponent Gender Effects on Presence and Aggressive Thoughts. Human Communication Research , 351-372.
Gaziano, C. (2001). Toward a Broader Conceptual Framework for Research on Social Stratification, Childrearing Patterns, and Media Effects. Mass Communication & Society , 219-244.
Ivory, J. D., & Kalynanaraman, S. (2007). The Effects of Technological Advancement and Violent Content in Video Games on Players? Feelings of Presence, Involvement, Physiological Arousal, and Aggression. Journal of Communication , 532-555.
Kolko, B. E., & Taylor, T. L. (2003). Boundary Spaces: Majestic and the uncertain status of knowledge, community and self in a digital age. Information, Communication & Society , 497-522.
Leone, R., & Scharrer, E. (2008). First-Person Shooters and the Third-Person Effect. Human Communication Research , 210-233.
Leone, R., & Scharrer, E. (2006). I Know You Are But What Am I? Young People?s Perceptions of Varying Types of Video Game Influence. Mass Communication & Society , 261-286.
Enjoy!
----------------------
Understanding Reality: Video Games and the Boundary between Virtual and Real Space
Video games have fast become one of the great pastimes for Americans, whether they have grown up with such ?classic? systems as the Super Nintendo 20 years ago or, like today?s youth, are inundated with technological advances on consoles and computers from an early age. Cecilie Gaziano (2007) states that ?The United States has witnessed unprecedented rates of violent victimization and perpetration,? amongst out youth, scholars are searching for the source of the issue (p. 219-220). Many turn to video games. ?Concern about the possible negative effects of violent video games has been accompanied by a boom in research? (p. 523) according to James D. Ivory et. all (2007). The research shows that the link is not as solid as was expected, although there is some link to video games and violence/relationship deterioration. Video games on their own are not the source of the increase of violence and understanding this is one of the keys to discovering the true root of the issue. It all comes down to discovering where gamers draw their boundaries between video games and reality, between virtual and real space. This literature review examines this boundary between virtual and real space and how video games affect perceptions of reality.
Literature Review
Research over the past decade, especially since the Columbine school shootings, has shown that the link between violent video games and real manifestations of violence is weak at best. James Ivory, et. all (2007), in a study designed to gauge player?s physiological arousal (increased heartbeat, etc.), were surprised to learn that when playing violent content, no such effect was observed. ?Other violent media have been found to be particularly conducive to arousal, so one interpretation of this null finding is that with video games, content may not be as meaningful as other game dimensions (p. 548).? Their findings show that in video games, players are able to draw their own line to differentiate between the game space and the real space. They know what they are playing is not real and are able to eventually walk away from the activity knowing they have experienced a virtual world.
This is not to say that video games have absolutely no impact on a person?s perception of reality. On the contrary, Rebecca Chory, et. all (2007) have found that, ?the more frequently individuals play video games, the higher their levels of trait [violent aggression] tend to be.? (p.117) It must be noted that violent aggression is defined by Chory as, ?attacking the self-concept of another person instead of, or in addition to, the person?s position on a topic of communication,? and NOT the sort of violence associated with school shootings. In addition, according to Matthew Eastin, male gamers have an acutely increased aggressiveness against female avatars (or characters) in game space, even though, according to Eastin, ?40% of the video game market is comprised of women (p. 351).? ?When playing with a male avatar against a female human, aggressive thoughts were relatively high (p. 363).? In addition, ?when a female player was presented as a male in the environment while playing against a female, aggressive thoughts were relatively low (p.359).? Finally, further research by Rebecca Chory, et. all (2009) shows that individuals with an addiction or dependence on gaming, ?associated with less frequent relational maintenance, particularly less frequent use of the strategies involving dealing with disagreements and performing household duties (p.51).?
These findings suggest that the boundary of interpersonal competition is either blurred or non-existent. When an individual competes against another, they feel the need to ?trash talk? and belittle the opponent, even if that opponent is playing on a separate system hundreds of miles away, connected only through the internet. Several in-game machinations have formed as manifestations of VA, such as the lewd ritual of tea bagging an opponent upon defeat. Because of the interaction with other people during competitive play, perhaps is it more difficult for players to categorize such play as purely virtual or purely interpersonal in a real sense, causing VA and other forms of aggressive thoughts to manifest themselves both on and off the field.
Players also have difficulty identifying such increases of aggressive thoughts in themselves, but have no problem pointing it out in others. Ron Leone, et. all (2006) defined this as the ?Third Person Effect,? ?the notion that most individuals see themselves as less susceptible to negative media influence than others (p. 261).? In their study, adolescents were able to easily point to examples of how others in their surroundings have been influenced by violent media while holding themselves less accountable. Leone offers one explanation by stating, ?The third-person perceptual effect in this study may stem from the unique developmental stage experienced by our respondents, in which they typically perceive themselves to be impervious to harm of any sort (p. 279).? This finding is particularly troubling, if not unexpected. In another study on the same topic, however, Ron Leone et. all (2008) state that, ?parental rules and concern predicted views of susceptibility to negative influence of self and others in this study tentatively suggests that? influence from parents is still felt (p.227).? The issue of child rearing is again brought up in a study by Cecilie Gaziano (2001). She states that, ?Children of parents who feel powerless and who attempt to assert power through angry, harsh, punitive attitudes? may be especially drawn toward the depiction of violent power options in mass media and video games (p. 237).? She suggests that ?weak parenting? is more of a predictor of violence than the engaging in violent video games themselves, that such activity may be a manifestation rather than a cause.
In the end, the ability to draw the line between video game and reality seems to be the crucial piece of evidence in the case that video games are not the cause of increased violence among youth. Being able to differentiate is crucial. One notable video game experience attempted to destroy that line and within a year had ceased sales due to failure. T.L. Taylor, et. all (2003) investigate the lifespan of the game, Majestic. Majestic was a game that took place in real space (rather than a virtual environment) by, ?mixing phone calls, faxes, instant messaging, real and ?fake? websites, and email. (p.497)? The game would force itself into a player?s reality by presenting them with page after page of back story and documentation. The eventual collapse came about because players were forced to their reality to fit into the game-space. They were not an avatar on a screen, but a real person supposed to be wrapped up in the great mystery of the Majestic project. Over time, ?[while] it presented themes that resonated with players and highlighted the indeterminate nature of knowledge, the game retreated when that connection became too powerful, too troubling (p.510).? Players had no way to draw the line between their real life and the video game space and, within a year, Majestic was gone.
Conclusion
The abundance of research shows that video games do not have the direct effect on the upswing of violence among youth in the United States that was initially belived. Research into physical reactions of gamers show that physiological effects are somewhat isolated during video game play. As long as players are able to differentiate between real space and virtual space, the two versions of reality can coexist. Gamers even have a history of rejecting when that line is blurred and the experience becomes too real. Players want the chance to immerse themselves in their entertainment, but they do not want their entertainment to become their reality.
References
Banfield, S., & Chory, R. (2009). Media Dependence and Relational Maintenance in Interpersonal Relationships. Communication Reports , 41-53.
Chory, R. M., & Cicchirillo, V. (2007). The Relationship between Video Game Play and Trait Verbal Aggressiveness: An Application of the General Aggression Model. Communication Research Reports , 113-119.
Eastin, M. S. (2006). Video Game Violence and the Female Game Player: Self- and Opponent Gender Effects on Presence and Aggressive Thoughts. Human Communication Research , 351-372.
Gaziano, C. (2001). Toward a Broader Conceptual Framework for Research on Social Stratification, Childrearing Patterns, and Media Effects. Mass Communication & Society , 219-244.
Ivory, J. D., & Kalynanaraman, S. (2007). The Effects of Technological Advancement and Violent Content in Video Games on Players? Feelings of Presence, Involvement, Physiological Arousal, and Aggression. Journal of Communication , 532-555.
Kolko, B. E., & Taylor, T. L. (2003). Boundary Spaces: Majestic and the uncertain status of knowledge, community and self in a digital age. Information, Communication & Society , 497-522.
Leone, R., & Scharrer, E. (2008). First-Person Shooters and the Third-Person Effect. Human Communication Research , 210-233.
Leone, R., & Scharrer, E. (2006). I Know You Are But What Am I? Young People?s Perceptions of Varying Types of Video Game Influence. Mass Communication & Society , 261-286.
