Rachel Gonzales Summary Response # 3

     Addictive Behaviors

Neurobiological correlates of physical self-concept and self-identification
with avatars in addicted players of Massively Multiplayer Online
Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs)☆
Tagrid Leménager, Julia Dieter, Holger Hill, Anne Koopmann, Iris Reinhard, Madlen Sell, Falk Kiefer, Sabine Vollstädt-Klein, Karl Mann. 

https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezhost.utrgv.edu/science/article/pii/S0306460314002287

Summary: This article includes attempts to understand the reasons behind "computer and online gaming addiction," mostly seen in Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG's) (2). This study shows that addicted MMORPG'ers have a strong deficits in "social, emotional and physical self-aspects and a higher degree of self identification with avatars" unlike the non-addicted gamer. They hypothesized that the avatar was created (by the gamer) to compensate for the persons own self-concept. Meaning, the addicted player, unlike the non-addicted play, tends to have low self-esteem causing them to be depended on their avatar which is the better version of themselves. They used research from previous studies regarding the brains ability to identify itself by firing neurons in the fronto-parietal network. In short, this part of the brain (Left Angular Gyrus) is involved in the encoding of self-perception and its delineation from others (2).

Similarly, these researches wanted to add to the previous finds by analyzing the different brain activity in non-addicted players vs addicted players. They ultimately wanted to understand the difference, by watching the brain activity, in self-concept from the two types of gamers and their connection to their avatars. After months of screening, to find the proper subjects, the researchers began to conducted many test. One being a chart with a picture of the subject's body as well as his avatar. They also included three unknown persons with similar and opposite sex. They were shown eight different angles of the figures and all were in the same clothing, while the avatar was shown without its weaponry and in the same clothes. They found that non-addicted players had a normal left AG activation with their avatars and themselves vs the addicted players. The addicted gamers had bilateral AG activity with their avatars as well as, the three random strangers that were placed on the chart. Similar with previous findings, "our psychometric data revealed that addicted MMORPG gamers displayed a higher BMI and showed a more extended negative ‘vital body image’ by rating

themselves as having less physical power, health and fitness. Furthermore, they exhibited a lower gender identity and a tendency to evaluate their physical appearance as more negative." (5) The addicted players had higher brain activity on both left and right sides of their AG with their avatar, opposite sex and same sex strangers than they did with themselves.  

Response:

 Through a psychoanalytic perspective, this makes sense to me. It is common for people who have self esteem issues to immerse themselves in a virtual world were they can recreate themselves to their liking. It was interesting to see the process of the researchers backing up the psychological theory of self-concept (self loathing) with physical evidence in connection to the brain and how it chooses to identify itself. I believe this takes the notion of avatar player relationship to the next level because it shows that addicted players not only connect but rely on their avatars of acceptance within a whole other world. Meaning, what they believe they lack in the real word, the make up for in the virtual world with their avatar. 

Citation:

Leménager, Tagrid. Dieter, et al.  Neurobiological correlates of physical self-concept and self-identification with avatars in addicted players of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), Addictive Behaviors. Volume 39, Issue 12, 2014, Pages 1789-1797, ISSN 0306-4603, (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460314002287)