Dong Dong Li , Albert Kien Liau, Angeline Khoo
https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezhost.utrgv.edu/science/article/pii/S0747563212002592
Summary: Within this article the researchers build their theory from the concept of J. Cohen but apply it to video games and the connection/identification that children have with their avatar. Cohen presented a theoretical discussion on the concept of identification with media characters and its consequences on identity development. This can all be measured four dimensions: 1."empathy or sharing the feelings of the character." 2. "The second is sharing the perspectives of the character and understanding the character emotionally as well as cognitively." 3. "the audience member internalized and shared the goals of the character." 4. "was absorption or the degree to which self-awareness is lost during exposure to media." (259)
They conducted this experiment within an elementary school, with both parent and teacher consent. The researches were looking for "feelings during play, absorption during play, positive attitudes toward the game avatar and importance of the avatar to one's self identity. Essentially, they hypothesized that student with diffused identity styles (a young person who has not figured out who they are) would report high scores on absorption and importance to identity (259). They used different types of surveys for both young boy and girls in the elementary to see who was more connected to their avatar and what influences or shared goals/emotions they shared, if any. After days of surveying, they found that their hypothesis was correct. The students with diffused identity styles had higher scores on absorption and importance to identity verses the other identity groups.
Response: I agree with this article because as children, we are so impressionable. At a young age, especially if you are hooked on video games, you are going to cling to a character that is cool and, in my head, a bad ass. I feel that, as a child, if you haven't found out who you are or come to understand yourself enough to realize this is ME, then you are more willing to try on different hats until you find one that fits. Even so, we do this even as adults. We tend to bob and weave into different identity cultures from work, to school to our home lives. We are not the same all around, we change based on the company.
Work Cited:
Dong Dong Li, Albert
Kien Liau, Angeline Khoo. Player–Avatar
Identification in video gaming: Concept and measurement,Computers in Human
Behavior. Volume 29, Issue 1. 2013. Pages 257-263. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563212002592)
The implications of this study are very interesting. I can see the positives of teaching young children through video games; they could learn empathy, problem-solving, and other positive qualities. On the other hand, impressionable children could learn about violence, sexual themes, and other questionable things from being exposed to adult video games. I guess it all comes down to the parents making sure their children are playing age-appropriate games.
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