Gamers Research Articles

Gaming passion contributes to the definition and identification of problematic gaming

Even if for most people playing video games is a healthy leisure activity, a minority of vulnerable users present an excessive use associated to negative consequences (e.g., psychosocial maladjustment, sleep interference) and functional impairment. The current study first aims to identify psychological factors that contribute to discriminate highly involved (but healthy) gamers from problematic gamers. For that purpose, we used a cluster analysis approach to identify different groups of gamers based on their profiles of passion towards gaming (using the Dualistic Model of Passion). Another objective of the present study is to explore, using supervised machine-learning, how gaming disorder symptoms, assessed within the substance use disorder framework (e.g., tolerance, withdrawal), might be linked to harmonious and/or an obsessive passion for gaming. Three distinct clusters of gamers were identified based on their passion profiles, including risky gamers, engaged gamers, and casual gamers. Supervised machine-learning algorithms identified that specific gaming disorder symptoms (salience, mood modification, tolerance, low level of conflict) were predominantly related to harmonious passion, whereas others (withdrawal, high level of conflict, relapse) were more directly related to obsessive passion. Our results support the relevance of person-centered approaches to the treatment of problematic gaming.

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Students of Intermediate Schools in Basra

Background: Obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century and represents a serious health problem for low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Its prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. Globally, more than 340 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years are overweight or obese, and approximately two-third of them live in developing countries. Aim: The present study was implemented to assess the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents in intermediate schools in Basrah, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the second semester (between January 15 and May 30, 2013) among children attending public and private secondary schools in Basra city to determine the relationship between certain variables and the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Results: According to the study findings, the overall prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents aged 13–15 years in intermediate schools were 20.6% and 22.6%, respectively. Conclusions: A combination of decreased physical activity, sedentary behaviors (watching TV, playing video games, and using the internet), ingestion of unhealthy foods, and consumption of soft drinks may be responsible for the observed increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescent students in Basra city.

Passive and social screen time in children with autism and in association with obesity.

Screen time has been identified as a risk factor for childhood obesity, but the media landscape has evolved rapidly. Children with autism tend to be heavy users of screens and have an elevated prevalence of obesity. We know little about screen use patterns among children with autism vs. typically developing (TD) peers and in association with obesity. Baseline data from 10,842 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognition Development Study was used to characterize time spent with child-reported passive screen use (television/movies/watching videos), playing video games, and using social media. Duration of screen time by autism status and gender was summarized as mean time per day; obesity was defined using CDC/WHO criteria. A propensity score analysis was used to create a matched dataset for analysis. Overall, 1.7% of children were was identified as having autism. Significant mean differences were observed by autism status and gender for both passive viewing and playing video games. Compared to TD children, boys with autism spent more time (2.9 vs. 2.3 h, p < 0.001) watching TV, movies or videos, as did girls (3.0 vs. 2.0 h, p = 0.002). Compared to TD peers, boys with autism reported more video game time (102.7 vs. 77.5 min, p = 0.001), as did girls with autism (64.4 vs. 37.9 min, p = 0.03); girls with autism also spent more time on social media sites or video chat (45.5 vs. 21.9 min, p = 0.04). Overall, obesity prevalence increased with increasing screen time duration, significantly for passive screen time (p-value = 0.002) and texting (p-value = 0.02). Associations between obesity and screen time duration did not differ by autism status. Children with autism spend more time playing video games and on passive and social screen activities than their TD peers, with some variations by gender. High rates of social media use among girls with autism and multiplayer video game use among both boys and girls with autism may challenge the notion that the high levels of screen time reflect social isolation in the group. Given potential positive aspects of screen time in children with autism movement to focus on content and context is appropriate.

The power bases in multiplayer video games

This study deals with how players employ different power relations while playing videogames.Power is a difficult concept to define but it is usually explained with the ability to influence.Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven’s studies have defined five bases for social influence: coercive (based on punishment), referent (based on affection), reward (based on reward), expert (based on expertise) and legitimate (based on agreed regulations) powers. Many other studies have tested their theory in various fields, and it proved to be a lasting one. Researchers conducted studies in areas such as education, business, sports with this theory and obtained meaningful results. However, the power bases of video game players has never been studied, despite the fact that video game studies has already been established as an academic field –with many scholars discussing empowerment through games. This study focuses on measuring the power of a player over another one. There can be two types of such relations: it can either take place among players in an everybody-for-themselves kind of environment – which is called inter-power relations, or it can take place between the members of a team, working together for a common goal. This is called intra power relations. This study demonstrates that expert and reward powers are preferred in inter and intra-power relations, referent being another valid option for teamwork.

Does aggressive commentary by streamers during violent video game affect state aggression in adolescents?

In the past 10 years, live-streaming services have gained huge popularity. Streamers usually play video games and complement their performance with commentary. We examine the role of this streamer commentary on state aggression in Czech adolescents who were randomly assigned into one of the three experimental groups (i.e. aggressive commentary, non-aggressive commentary, no commentary). The findings suggest that a short-term streamer’s commentary has no effect on affective and cognitive state aggression. In addition, the experimental conditions did not moderate any effects of personal traits (i.e. aggression, empathy) and long-term environmental factors (i.e. exposure to violence, watching violent streams, playing violent video games) on state aggression. We found that trait aggression, trait affective empathy and long-term exposure to violence were positively associated with state aggression, whereas trait sympathy was negatively associated with state aggression. The findings enrich the research with evidence for the lack of influence of streamer commentary on viewer aggression.

Between death and suffering: resolving the gamer’s dilemma

The gamer’s dilemma, initially proposed by Luck (Ethics and Information Technology 11(1):31–36, 2009) posits a moral comparison between in-game acts of murder and in-game acts of paedophilia within single-player videogames. Despite each activity lacking the obvious harms of their real-world equivalents, common intuitions suggest an important difference between them. Some responses to the dilemma suggest that intuitive responses to the two cases are based on important differences between the acts themselves or their social meaning. Others challenge the fundamental assumptions of the dilemma. In this paper, we identify and explore key imaginative and emotional differences in how certain types of in-game violence are experienced by players, consider how these differences factor into the moral lives of players, and use these insights to resolve the dilemma. The view we develop is that the key moral emotion in offensive video gameplay is self-repugnance. This is not repugnance of the act one directs a game character to perform in the game, nor repugnance of the character one plays. It is repugnance of oneself in playing the game. If self-repugnance is a fitting emotional response to playing a videogame, then this is prima facie grounds for thinking it is wrong to play the videogame. Our approach to the gamer’s dilemma is to distinguish the fittingness conditions of self-repugnance from the fittingness conditions of other moral emotions as they pertain to playing videogames. We argue that because of the virtual character of the actions performed in video games, self-repugnance is a fitting response to particular kinds of offensive gameplay. On the other hand, in-game murder is not invariably a fitting ground for self-repugnance. We argue that this difference is grounded in imaginative responses to the harm of death and the harms of profound suffering. Our task is to explain and justify this difference in fittingness conditions and use this to resolve the gamer’s dilemma.

Is playing violent video games a risk factor for aggressive behaviour? Adding narcissism, self-esteem and PEGI ratings to the debate.

Aggressive behaviour is a challenge for society. There continues to be considerable debate over whether the consumption of violent video games affects aggression, as violent video game content has become more accessible in recent years due to the growing use of online distribution platforms. Personality traits often linked to aggression, such as narcissism and self-esteem, have been considered in the context of violent video game play and their relationship with aggression. We surveyed an international population of 166 game players on their personality traits and their three favourite video game choices, which were classified as violent or non-violent, using Pan European Game Information (PEGI) 16 and 18 ratings. We found that violent video game choice is a predictor of verbal aggression alongside narcissism, and hostility alongside self-esteem. A categorical regression highlighted the desire to impersonate society's undesirable role models (e.g., 'be a thief or a killer') as one of the motivations for aggression and violent video game choice. These findings show that video game violence should be considered a risk factor for aggression, as in other violent media, as it provides a social reinforcement of aggressive behaviour and observational learning of aggressive models, calling for the introduction of stricter online age verification procedures on online game platforms to safeguard children from violent video game content; and increased use of parental controls on content fruition. More granularity should be considered in the PEGI classifications.

Mechanizmy zarządzania emocjami w grach wideo

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The article discusses issues related to the mechanisms of managing player emotions in video games. The author presents and indicates researchers’ main findings regarding emotions and their role in human life but also the basic functions of emotions in art and video games. Games are described as a medium characterized by communicative feedback between a human (player) and a machine (game), resulting in the occurrence of strong emotional impulses during the act of playing. The article refers to and interprets research on emotional reactions while playing video games and indicates the role of emotions in the marketing positioning of games.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

“Nerds of a Feather”: Homophilic Drivers of Worldwide Video Game Viewership on Twitch

ABSTRACT Twitch is a global online live streaming platform which is redefining how user-generated video content is produced and consumed. Streamers in countries all over the world have flocked to Twitch to broadcast themselves playing video games or engaging in other activities. Twitch has the potential to generate significant revenues for successful streamers. However, despite worldwide explosive growth in Twitch streamers, the number of streamers who actually gather a large enough viewer base to be called popular is rather small. This study examines these successful streamers and attempts to explain global Twitch viewership based on homophily and the tendencies of viewers to gravitate to streamers who seem most like themselves. A model of Twitch viewership is developed and tested based on four aspects of homophily. Ultimately, a Poisson panel regression analysis of data gathered on 207 of the most popular Twitch streamers from 27 countries shows that streamers who actively promote homophily in its various forms through their streaming practices have accrued a greater number of viewers than those who do not. The research’s implications for streamers, the Twitch platform itself, and researchers are also discussed.

Timed Partial Order Inference Algorithm

In this work, we propose the model of timed partial orders (TPOs) for specifying workflow schedules, especially for modeling manufacturing processes. TPOs integrate partial orders over events in a workflow, specifying ``happens-before'' relations, with timing constraints specified using guards and resets on clocks -- an idea borrowed from timed-automata specifications. TPOs naturally allow us to capture event ordering, along with a restricted but useful class of timing relationships. Next, we consider the problem of mining TPO schedules from workflow logs, which include events along with their time stamps. We demonstrate a relationship between formulating TPOs and the graph-coloring problem, and present an algorithm for learning TPOs with correctness guarantees. We demonstrate our approach on synthetic datasets, including two datasets inspired by real-life applications of aircraft turnaround and gameplay videos of the Overcooked computer game. Our TPO mining algorithm can infer TPOs involving hundreds of events from thousands of data-points within a few seconds. We show that the resulting TPOs provide useful insights into the dependencies and timing constraints for workflows.

SENTIMENT ANALYSIS OF HOW DIFFERENTLY MALE AND FEMALE STREAMERS CHAT ON TWITCH.TV

Video gameplay has traditionally been social, with arcades providing an outlet for public play and consoles, allowing people to play together at home. Onlookers are not limited to being passive spectatorship as they are also provided the opportunity to engage directly with the player, with gameplay live streaming being the newest iteration. Live streaming of video games has become dominated in most countries by the website Twitch.tv, where the challenge concerns highly skilled players with minimal communication and exchange, conversely, prioritizes showmanship over gameplay. This paper focuses on common communication characteristics of viewers who often send single messages and streamers who elaborate. Based on a large real dataset of live stream chats, this paper uses sentiment analysis to explore and compare the findings of different communication theories regarding viewers and how they perceive streamers along the spectrum of different sentiments. Keywords: video gameplay, sentiment analysis, live streaming, communication, twitch.tv

Characteristics and parental viewpoints regarding digital device use in children aged 4 to 8 years

In the present digital age, the number of digital devices and media has multiplied, giving young children and their parents access to them anytime and anywhere. The family and home environment constitutes an important ecological context for fostering and supporting the development of safe online behaviour, as well as preventing risky online behaviour in young children. During childhood, parents play an influential role in shaping a child’s use of digital technology (DT) devices through parental practices that are shaped by their beliefs about DT. The first aim of this study was to describe preferred digital devices, activities, and emotional states related to digital device use among children aged 4 to 8 years. The second aim was to describe parental viewpoints about their children’s device use. The data was collected through online interviews with 31 children (16 girls), aged 4 to 8 years, and one parent of each of the children included in the project “Digital technology in the family: patterns of behaviour and effects on child development”. The results show that smartphones are the children’s favourite device and playing video games is their preferred digital activity. Most children reported feeling happy when they used DT devices, as well as feeling sad and angry when they had to stop using them. Parental motivation for providing children access to DT devices can be child- and parent-oriented. Parents frequently emphasised the educational aspects of their children’s device use, but they were aware of the negative and positive effects on the children’s functioning. The findings indicate that children’s daily context of living in association with DT usage is characterised by small, portable devices that are used mainly for entertainment. Additionally, their parents allow the use of such devices because they believe that DT can have a positive impact on child development, and they need to occupy children’s attention in specific situations. However, DT device usage is limited due to the awareness of the negative impact on child development.

ASSOCIATION OF SCREEN TIME AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH INFORMATION PROCESSING SPEED AMONG SCHOOL GOING EARLY ADOLESCENTS IN SOUTH INDIA

Background and Objectives: Excessive use of smartphones and computers among adolescents together with less physical activity is a major public health concern as it has shown to produce attention difficulties, decreased academic performance and various health issues. This study aims to identify the relationship among screen time, physical activity and cognitive function of adolescents. Materials &amp; Methods:This was a cross sectional study done on students between the age of 10 and 14years of one government and one private school in Trivandrum corporation Kerala.Information processing speed was assessed using Digit Letter Substitution Tests (DLST).Physical Activity was measured using the Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire (YPAQ). Screen time in the study included watching television, playing video games, and using smartphones, tablet devices, desktop, and laptop. Results:147 students participated in the study. Screen time was high across all groups in the study, only 9.5 % of the study group had optimum screen time of 2 hours as recommended by WHO but this group had significantly higher information processing speed.57.1% of adolescents in the study group had adequate physical activity and this group of students had significantly higher DLST score compared to those with low physical activity. Interpretation &amp; Conclusions: The findings of the study could serve as a reliable indicator on the harmfulness of screen time and sedentary lifestyle on cognitive function of young adolescents. This can also help to implement a school-based monitoring on unhealthy life styles and interventions for intellectual development of adolescents in Kerala.

The role of negative and positive urgency in the relationship between craving and symptoms of problematic video game use

Craving and emotion-driven impulsivity dimensions (positive and negative urgency) have been suggested as factors involved in the progression of different potentially problematic behaviors. However, their role in severity of video gaming-related problems remains unclear. This study aims to assess the differential capacity of negative and positive urgency to predict craving and the number of internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms endorsed (as a proxy to severity of video gaming problems) in majoritarily non-pathological video-gamers. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 232 Spanish and 222 Ecuadorian frequent video game players. Mixed-effects generalized linear (GMLE) and mediation modeling were used to test moderation and mediation hypotheses regarding the association between urgency, craving, and endorsement of IGD symptoms. Results show that (1) craving largely overlaps with endorsement of IGD symptoms; (2) craving for video games is linked to positive urgency, but not to negative urgency, which reinforces the idea that craving, at least in mostly non-pathological gamers, is a positively valenced expectancy state; (3) positive urgency exerts an indirect effect (mediated by craving) on the number of symptoms endorsed; (4) negative urgency exerts a direct effect on the number of symptoms endorsed; and (5) urgency traits do not interact with craving to predict the number of symptoms. These findings are consistent with the proposal that craving is an emotional state, and that dysregulation of positive affect (as measured by positive urgency) influences its emergence and control. In addition, they support the idea that craving is a central feature in the emergence of IGD symptoms.

Who are the gamers? Profiling adult gamers using machine learning approaches

In our paper, we used factor analysis and artificial intelligence-based modeling to reveal how video gamers living in an economically peripheric European Union member state can be segmented based on gaming time. We performed a causal analysis of two groups—occasional and frequent players—based on the data of a 2022 representative survey. The results show that in a semi-peripheral country, the adult population plays video games in a similar proportion as in the central countries (every second person), but at the same time, a high degree of polarization can be demonstrated in the time spent gaming. Based on our results, players can be predicted with high reliability based on player preferences, that is, game types, motivations, and shopping habits. However, it is worth supplementing these categories with players' socio-demographic characteristics. Our research contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors and causal relationships that determine video gamers in semi-peripheral countries; moreover, it sheds light on the distinguishing variables that function as group builders.

Let's Think They are Safe Online!: An Asian Perspective on the Classification of Children's Cyber Risks

Children nowadays spend a substantial amount of time on the Internet and related technology. They are devoting more time to recreational activities such as socializing virtually and playing video games. Scholars are divided on whether they are benefiting from the situation or putting themselves in risk by participating in it. Although Malaysian parents are concerned about the dangers their children may encounter online, most threats remain unknown. Children are still reluctant to inform their families about their online exposure to inappropriate content such as cybersex and pornography, which are still taboo subjects in Malaysian households. To determine the risk factors associated with children's online use, a descriptive analysis is carried out. A total of 420 school-going children aged 9 to 16 around Selangor were recruited. During the previous 12 months that they interacted with the Internet, the study found that children were highly exposed to unwanted exposure to pornography (17.4 %), potentially dangerous user-generated content (9 %), sexting (8.8 %), personal data misuse (6.4 %), cyber grooming (3.3 %), and cyberbullying (1.7 % ).

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Based Self-Deciding Character Development Application in Two-Dimensional Video Games

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, which have started to be used in almost all areas of life, are now also used in games. Especially for bot systems that play the game automatically in many popular video games recently, it has become possible for these bots to defeat the grandmasters of the game with advanced Deep Learning (DL) methods. The purpose of this study is to develop an AI-based two-dimensional video game in Unity 2D Game Engine, which can decide what the game characters will do within their abilities. In the game application, the two-dimensional game character is controlled by the user. This character moves in a two-dimensional game plane that is created using procedural plane generation algorithms. In addition, statistics such as the number of enemies defeated and the level reached in the game are recorded. The game is based on the Unity2D game engine and is written in C#. In the study, 8 different experiments are performed. In these experiments, the player's success time in the game with different equipment defined for the character is measured. This time ranges from 0.54 seconds to 1.88 seconds. Today, AI algorithms are developed to play computer games better or to design better games, and new games are designed to improve AI algorithms. In this context, it is evaluated that this study will contribute to the literature on the use of AI in computer games.

Computer vision syndrome

Technological advances in computing and Internet access enable workers to process more information and be more productive. It also means that workers are spending more time on electronic devices with visual displays such as computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and even watches that contribute to eye strain. The same applies to children, as they spend many hours each day using electronic devices with digital displays to complete school assignments, play video games, and communicate in the Internet [4]. With the increasing use of these electronic devices, computer vision syndrome is becoming a major public health problem.

Problems of criminal liability for non-compliance with a court decision depriving a person of the right to drive vehicles for committing an administrative offense

The article substantiates the conclusion that neither the system of punishments nor the content of their types is a permanent phenomenon. With the development of society, with the change in the legal status of a person in a specific state, the system of punishments and their filling with specific legal restrictions is also changing. Such changes are influenced by many factors that form the state’s criminal law policy at a certain stage. Just a few dozen years ago, the “worst punishment” for children for their faults was a parental prohibition to go for a walk with their friends. On the contrary, for most of today’s teenagers, the “worst punishment” is the prohibition to use various kinds of electronic gadgets that provide the opportunity to join various virtual social networks, play computer games, etc. In many cases, virtual reality is more important than real life and physical communication with peers. Herewith, the psychological suffering experienced by teenagers from such restrictions is so strong that it sometimes leads to suicidal cases. In this regard, such punishment as deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities, as well as a corresponding administrative penalty, acquires special importance.In fact, nowadays it is possible to ensure the social isolation of a person without applying punishment in the form of imprisonment for a certain term. This is because of the fact that a significant amount of people spend their lives in various kinds of gadgets, at work or do not imagine their rest without computer games, favorite activities, communication with a certain company, etc. Therefore, if the restrictions aimed at depriving of such opportunities are applied, a person will inevitably feel social isolation, which will lead to significant changes in his or her everyday life. In this regard, an effective means of influence may be punishments aimed at depriving people of the opportunity to participate in certain spheres of social life. At the same time, the application of both criminal punishment and administrative penalty in the form of deprivation of certain rights is associated with certain problems during the actual execution and serving of such punishment or penalty. On the example of a specific criminal proceeding, the article analyzes the problem of liability for evasion of serving an administrative penalty in the form of deprivation of the right to drive vehicles. It is substantiated that the driving of a vehicle by a person deprived of the right to drive vehicles by a court decision as a result of the application of the corresponding administrative penalty should entail criminal liability for non-compliance with the court decision in accordance with Article 382 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Putting the Gaming Experience at the Center of the Therapy-The Video Game Therapy® Approach.

Video games have been increasingly used as a form of therapy for various mental health conditions. Research has shown that video games can be used to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction. One of the main benefits of video games in therapy is that they can provide a sense of engagement and immersion that traditional therapy methods may lack. Additionally, video games can teach valuable skills such as problem solving, decision making, and coping strategies. Video games can also simulate real-life scenarios, allowing individuals to practice and improve social skills in a safe and controlled environment. Furthermore, video games can provide feedback and track progress objectively and quantifiably. This paper proposes an approach, the Video Game Therapy® (VGT®) approach, where game experience is put at the center of the therapy in a tailored way, connecting the individual patient's personality, the therapy's goals, and the suggested type of video game through the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).VGT®'s core assumption is that playing video games could facilitate patients in reaching conditions where traditional methodologies and therapeutic approaches could work best. VGT® was elaborated according to the Adlerian therapy vision and, consequently, the different phases of Adlerian therapy and VGT® match. Despite the use of video games in psychotherapy might have some adverse effects in specific cases, VGT® is currently used in three associations with positive results in promoting emotional experimentation and literacy, social feeling, sense of identity, and activating cognitive processes. Future developments include expanding the use of VGT® further to validate such results from a statistical point of view.