News
Monday 3 March 2008
Online gamers' secret sex swaps revealed
Cyberspace is inhabited by hordes of online gamers who secretly indulge in virtual gender swaps, a new study has found. The Nottingham Trent University research – being published in leading US journal CyberPsychology and Behavior – has revealed how almost two-thirds of role-playing gamers masquerade as the opposite sex to either gain the upper hand or fit in with peers in their online communities.
The study, Gender Swapping and Socialising in Cyberspace, also found that one in five gamers preferred socialising online than in reality, and that two in five played to escape personal problems in real life.
Experts from Nottingham Trent University’s International Gaming Research Unit in the Psychology Division looked at Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) as part of the study, such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest and Final Fantasy.
They found that females were more likely to engage in gender swapping, with almost 70% admitting to taking on the role of a man, compared to 54% of males opting for a female persona.
“It seems that women gender swap for a variety of reasons, such as to avoid unsolicited male approaches on their female characters, or because they felt male characters were treated better by other males during the course of the game,” said lead researcher Zaheer Hussain.
Some males, however, claimed they were treated better as females in what are typically male-dominated games. Many took on a female persona so they could flirt with male characters in order to gain perks within the game such as extra money or weapons.
Others simply engaged in gender swapping as an experiment as it allowed them to play around with aspects of their character that would not be possible to explore in real life. There is an opportunity for gamers to change their character’s physical appearance before playing the games, for instance.
The study also found that many gamers found it easier to socialise online than in reality.
Report co-author Professor Mark Griffiths said: “The laid back means of communication in the virtual world was seen by some participants as more pleasant and satisfying than the real world; it is viewed as a world where everyone can speak their mind and be heard. Gamers view online communities as places of equality, with greater anonymity and less emphasis on physical appearance essential in helping enhance social interaction.”
Zaheer Hussain added: “Gamers were also playing to escape personal problems or to change their mood. The games are often seen as a means of escape and a coping strategy which gamers use to distract themselves from having to deal with other problems.”
The researchers found that two thirds of participants felt gaming provided a positive stimulation, generated through the challenging and exciting aspects of role-playing online, the level of interactivity with other players, and the opportunity to meet new friends.
ENDS
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