Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T03:22:26.616Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Why imaginary worlds? The role of self-exploration within online gaming worlds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2022

Kim Szolin  and
Mark D. Griffiths Open the ORCID record for Mark D. Griffiths [Opens in a new window]
Kim Szolin
Affiliation:
International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK kim.szolin2016@my.ntu.ac.uk; http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/Profiles/51652-1-4/Professor_Mark_Griffiths.aspx Mark.Griffiths@ntu.ac.uk
Mark D. Griffiths
Affiliation:
International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK kim.szolin2016@my.ntu.ac.uk; http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/Profiles/51652-1-4/Professor_Mark_Griffiths.aspx Mark.Griffiths@ntu.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dubourg and Baumard posited that preferences for exploration are the key to the popularity in imaginary worlds. This commentary argues that other forms of exploration may also account for the success and appeal of specific types of imaginary worlds, namely self-exploration within interactive imaginary worlds such as videogames.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e302
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arcelus, J., Jones, B., Richards, C., Jimenez-Murcia, S., Bouman, W.P., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Video gaming and gaming addiction in transgender people: An exploratory study. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 6(1), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.6.2017.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bessière, K., Seay, A. F., & Kiesler, S. (2007). The ideal elf: Identity exploration in World of Warcraft. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 10(4), 530–535. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2007.9994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ducheneaut, N., Wen, M. H., Yee, N., & Wadley, G. (2009). Body and mind: A study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1151–1160). ACM Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffiths, M. D., Arcelus, J., Bouman, W. P. (2016). Video gaming and gender dysphoria: Some case study evidence. 34(2), 59–66. Retrieved from https://raco.cat/index.php/Aloma/article/view/315262 [Consulta: 28-08-2021].Google Scholar
Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2008). Gender swapping and socializing in cyberspace: An exploratory study. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(1), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2007.0020.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mancini, T., & Sibilla, F. (2017). Offline personality and avatar customisation. Discrepancy profiles and avatar identification in a sample of MMORPG players. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 275–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.031.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Messinger, P. R., Ge, X., Stroulia, E., Lyons, K., Smirnov, K., & Bone, M. (2008). On the relationship between my avatar and myself. Journal for Virtual Worlds Research, 1(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v1i2.352.Google Scholar
Morcos, M., Stavropoulos, V., Rennie, J. J., Clark, M., & Pontes, H. M. (2021). Internet gaming disorder: Compensating as a Draenei in World of Warcraft. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 19, 669–685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00098-x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, H., O'Donovan, A., Almeida, R., Lin, A., & Perry, Y. (2020). The role of the avatar in gaming for trans and gender diverse young people. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(22), 8617. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sibilla, F., & Mancini, T. (2018). I am (not) my avatar: A review of the user-avatar relationships in massively multiplayer online worlds. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 12(3), 4. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2018-3-4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar