investiGaming - Research Findings on Gender and Games

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investiGaming is a publication of the Serious Game Design group in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University, 2007-2009

This gateway is partially supported by grant 0631771 from the National Science Foundation.

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent Michigan State University or the National Science Foundation.

Gender Theories

investiGaming ›  Tags ›  Gender Theories

Scope Definition:  GENDER THEORIES refers to explanations for why and how societies construct their ideas of masculinity and femininity, and how sexual identity affects behavior.
Selected highlights from the GENDER THEORIES tag (scroll down to see the full list of entries with this tag, including links to the entries)

Gaming Behavior and Gender
• High-feminine 15- and 16-year-old girls preferred web sites with strong graphics and multimedia design over content (Agosto, 2004)
• Male players of an MMO (Everquest II) played for achievement whereas female players played for social interaction.  (Williams, 2009)
• Male players of an MMO (Everquest II) were more aggressive than female players, especially within romantic relationships where both partners play.  (Williams, 2009)
• Females comprised 10% of Everquest II (an MMO) players.  (Williams, 2009)
• Female players of an MMO (Everquest II) spent more time playing, and played as more different characters, than male players.  (Williams, 2009)
• Female players of an MMO (Everquest II) were more than twice as likely to be playing with a romantic partner.  (Williams, 2009)
• Female players of an MMO (Everquest II) playing with a romantic partner (62% of female players) had the following characteristics: older, made less money, played more hours per week, exercised more, had lower BMI, had more characters, reported higher relationship quality and enjoyed the game more than female players who were not playing with a romantic partner.  (Williams, 2009)
• Female players of an MMO (Everquest II) were healthier than male players or females in the general population. (Williams, 2009)

Gaming Experience and Sexual Identity
• Two popular games (Final Fantasy and The Sims) implicitly constructed sexuality that was heterosexual and presumed that the gamer was a heterosexual male.  In the author’s opinion, they failed to deny the existence of gay and lesbian characters and this resulted in gender and sexual confusion. (Consalvo, 2001)

Attitudes Toward Computers and Sex
• Adolescent boys and girls who were general computer users tended to have the same range of attitudes toward computers.  There were no significant differences in their attitudes. (Devlin, 1991)
• Adolescent male programmers had more positive attitudes toward computers than adolescent female programmers. (Devlin, 1991)

Factoring Gender in Research and Design
• Researchers in fields such as physics and astronomy, stem cell research, car design, genetics, archaeology and geographic information systems found new results when they factored gender into their analysis.  (Schiebinger, 2008)

Effects of Mixed Teams
• Working with someone of the opposite sex on a collaborative task increased feminine qualities in both men and women, as reported by the participants. (Pickard, 2003)

Stereotypes and Test Performance
• Women primed for a mental rotation test got lower scores. Priming of men did not yield a difference in scores.  (Ortner, 2008)

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Agosto, Denise (2004)

Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, vol. 10:1, 18

Synopsis:

The study looked at preferences for website design versus content of eleven 14- and 15-year olds.

Keywords:

journal, case study, gender theories, computer skills, middle school, gender equity

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes

Alexander, G. & Hines, M. (1994)


Child Development, 65(3) 869-879

Synopsis:

A study of 60 children between the ages of 4 and 8 years in an elementary school, interviewed to study their preferences for the gender of playmates and preferences for gendered play styles.

Keywords:

journal, gender theories, co play,

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: No | Highlights: Yes

Braidotti, R. (1996)


University of Utrecht: Netherlands

Synopsis:

The author explores many topics related to post-modern thought and feminism.

Keywords:

academia, gender theories, feminism, Netherlands,

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes

Consalvo, Mia (2001)


Paper presented at Playing with the Future, Manchester, UK.

Synopsis:

Using a case study approach, the author examines Final Fantasy IX for the Playstation and The Sims for Mac/PC for representations of characters and plot offered, and their gameplay.

Keywords:

conference, United Kingdom, sexuality, femininity, gender stereotypes, case study, Final Fantasy IX, The Sims, gender theories, masculinity

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes

Devlin, Steven James (1991)


Dissertation at Temple University, Snelbecker, Glenn

Synopsis:

The attitudes of 462 high school students from six public high schools in Philadelphia were assessed using Loyd’s Computer Attitude Scale.  These students’ sex role self-concept was also assessed using the BEM Sex-Role Inventory. 

Keywords:

academia, report, masculinity, femininity, gender theories, high school

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes

Ortner, Tuulia M. and Monika Sieverding (2008)


Sex Roles Volume 59, Numbers 3-4

Synopsis:

Using a sample of 161 men and women (mean age=31.90) from Austria, the study looks at the effect of gender stereotype activation by priming the subjects for a spatial relations test.

Keywords:

Academia, Experiment, journal article, Austria, Gender theories, spatial cognition, gender stereotypes, psychology

Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes

Pickard, Jennifer and Strough, JoNell (2003)


Sex Roles, v48 issue 9-10 pp 421-432

Synopsis:

Eighty college students (40 women and 40 men, median age = 19.5 years) worked with a man and a woman on a collaborative task to see if their gender-typed behaviors changed with the sex of the team mate.

Keywords:

femininity, Masculinity , gender theories, psychology, academia, journal, gender stereotypes, adult younger

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes

Schiebinger, Londa (Ed.) (2008)


Stanford University Press, http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?book_id=5814%205815%20

Synopsis:

A book of edited papers by prominent scholars on research and design projects that were influenced by gender analysis.

Keywords:

Academia, Book, IT Careers, workforce, working conditions, gender theories, gender equity, psychology

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes

Williams, Dimitri, Mia Consalvo, Scott Caplan, and Nick Yee (2009)


Journal of Communication

Synopsis:

A survey of 7,129 Everquest II players is combined with in-game observations to examine gender differences in play motivations and lifestyle. 

Keywords:

academia, journal, survey, gender theories, gender identity, motivations, gaming social context, genre MMO, sexuality, aggression

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes