Abstract
As a sportification form of human-computer interaction, eSports is facing great gender stereotype threat and causing female players’ withdraw. This study aims to investigate the relationship between gender-swapping and females’ continuous participation intention in eSports, the mediating effect of self-efficacy, and the moderating effect of discrimination. The results demonstrate (1) that the effect of gender-swapping on continuous participation intention in eSports was not significant, while gender-swapping had a significant association with self-efficacy, and self-efficacy had a significant association with continuous participation intention in eSports; (2) that gender-swapping had an indirect effect (via self-efficacy) on continuous participation intention in eSports; and (3) that discrimination moderated the effect of self-efficacy on continuous participation intention. Female players who had experienced discrimination displayed higher continuous participation intention in the context of self-efficacy enhanced by gender-swapping.
Highlights
ESports is a typical sportification form [1] of humancomputer interaction [2, 3]
Gender stereotype threat exists in eSports and causes a significant gender imbalance in the eSports industry
Perceiving negative gender stereotypes decreases female players’ performance [17] and excludes them from the mainstream eSports circle [24], which weakens their participation intention in eSports; in other words, the higher the females’ awareness of the threat of gender stereotypes, the more likely they are to quit eSports. Removing this gender stereotype threat will play an important role in enhancing female participation in eSports; gender-swapping plays a role in “gender masking” and allows female players to escape stereotype threats which can enhance females’ continuous participation intention in eSports. us, we propose the following hypotheses
Summary
ESports is a typical sportification form [1] of humancomputer interaction [2, 3]. Gender stereotype threat exists in eSports and causes a significant gender imbalance in the eSports industry. Taking Chinese eSports as an example, female participants account for only 24.3% [4]. Emerging mobile eSports attract more and more female participants, eSports are still typically male-dominated and are full of negative stereotypes of females, such as that male players are more competent [5]. Erefore, female players often receive less positive comments [6] and experience discrimination in eSports [7]. Discrimination causes female players to experience greater oppression in the game [5], forcing them to withdraw from eSports
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