User delinquency and instructional conditions: Undesirable behaviour in open virtual worlds

Abstract

Abstract Virtual environments are becoming an increasingly common tool for instructional designers, but the creative freedom of these digital worlds can come with an increased risk of deviant behaviour from users. The scenarios at the centre of this research explore the impact different instructional conditions have on unwanted virtual behaviour. Participants in these scenarios were asked to play modified versions of the game Grand Theft Auto 3 (Rockstar Games, 2001) under one of three different instructional conditions. The goal was to measure which instructional conditions had the greatest impact on player behaviour, with an emphasis on investigating which set of conditions resulted in the least amount of deviancy in the experiment’s play period. Deviancy was measured through quantifying negative actions, such as killing computer controlled characters in the virtual space and reckless driving. The final results show that the instructional conditions given to users can have a major impact on behaviour, and thus have a major impact on potential learning.