Who Am I Inside the Screen? Construction of Virtual Identity in Multiplayer Online Videogames and Its Psychological Functions.

IF 4.2 2区 心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL
Adrià Gabarnet, Guillem Feixas, Adrián Montesano
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Virtual environments like online videogames offer increasingly more people the opportunity to socialize purely within the digital plane. These interactions, often done through customizable avatars, have brought about the concept of the "virtual-self," understood as the multiple identities that can be expressed in virtual environments. This can take many forms and fulfill different psychological roles, from portraying the individual's ideal-self to allowing them to explore what it feels like to be someone completely different. In this study, we used a constructivist perspective to put forward a typology of the different ways in which players construe their virtual identities in online videogames. We administered the repertory grid technique to 202 online videogame players to measure their perceived discrepancies between their actual-self (how they see themselves), ideal-self (how they wish to be), and virtual-self (how they see their main character in a game of their choice). After conducting a cluster analysis, we found three main patterns of virtual-self construal. The projection-type, where players with a high actual-ideal discrepancy created a virtual character resembling their ideal-self; the exploration-type, where players with a lower actual-ideal discrepancy tended to create a character that was different from both their actual and ideal selves; and the proximal-type, where players created characters that were similar to their actual-self. This typology can be a useful resource for any videogame research that wishes to include an identity perspective, as well as in the diagnosis and treatment of internet gaming disorder.

屏幕里的我是谁?多人在线电子游戏中虚拟身份的构建及其心理功能。
在线电子游戏等虚拟环境为越来越多的人提供了纯粹的数字社交机会。这些互动通常是通过可定制的化身完成的,由此产生了 "虚拟自我 "的概念,即在虚拟环境中可以表达的多重身份。这可以采取多种形式,并发挥不同的心理作用,从描绘个人的理想自我到让他们探索成为一个完全不同的人是什么感觉。在这项研究中,我们从建构主义的角度出发,对玩家在网络电子游戏中构建虚拟身份的不同方式进行了分类。我们对 202 名网络电子游戏玩家采用了再现网格技术,以测量他们对实际自我(他们眼中的自己)、理想自我(他们希望成为的自己)和虚拟自我(他们眼中的游戏主角)之间差异的感知。经过聚类分析,我们发现虚拟自我构建有三种主要模式。投射型,即实际-理想差异较大的玩家创造的虚拟角色与理想自我相似;探索型,即实际-理想差异较小的玩家倾向于创造一个既不同于实际自我也不同于理想自我的角色;近似型,即玩家创造的角色与实际自我相似。这种类型学对于任何希望纳入身份认同视角的电子游戏研究以及网络游戏障碍的诊断和治疗都是一种有用的资源。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
9.60
自引率
3.00%
发文量
123
期刊介绍: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is a leading peer-reviewed journal that is recognized for its authoritative research on the social, behavioral, and psychological impacts of contemporary social networking practices. The journal covers a wide range of platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, internet gaming, and e-commerce, and examines how these digital environments shape human interaction and societal norms. For over two decades, this journal has been a pioneering voice in the exploration of social networking and virtual reality, establishing itself as an indispensable resource for professionals and academics in the field. It is particularly celebrated for its swift dissemination of findings through rapid communication articles, alongside comprehensive, in-depth studies that delve into the multifaceted effects of interactive technologies on both individual behavior and broader societal trends. The journal's scope encompasses the full spectrum of impacts—highlighting not only the potential benefits but also the challenges that arise as a result of these technologies. By providing a platform for rigorous research and critical discussions, it fosters a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between technology and human behavior.
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