Concerns about problematic gaming behaviors deserve our full attention. However, we claim that it... more Concerns about problematic gaming behaviors deserve our full attention. However, we claim that it is far from clear that these problems can or should be attributed to a new disorder. The empirical basis for a Gaming Disorder proposal, such as in the new ICD-11, suffers from fundamental issues. Our main concerns are the low quality of the research base, the fact that the current operationalization leans too heavily on substance use and gambling criteria, and the lack of consensus on symptomatology and assessment of problematic gaming. The act of formalizing this disorder, even as a proposal, has negative medical, scientific, public-health, societal, and human rights fallout that should be considered. Of particular concern are moral panics around the harm of video gaming. They might result in premature application of diagnosis in the medical community and the treatment of abundant false-positive cases, especially for children and adolescents. Second, research will be locked into a confirmatory approach, rather than an exploration of the boundaries of normal versus pathological. Third, the healthy majority of gamers will be affected negatively. We expect that the premature inclusion of Gaming Disorder as a diagnosis in ICD-11 will cause significant stigma to the millions of children who play video games as a part of a normal, healthy life. At this point, suggesting formal diagnoses and categories is premature: the ICD-11 proposal for Gaming Disorder should be removed to avoid a waste of public health resources as well as to avoid causing harm to healthy video gamers around the world.
This study was designed to investigate the aggression levels of college students found in the Nor... more This study was designed to investigate the aggression levels of college students found in the Northeastern part of the United States following exposure to video games. The 59 participants played their assigned game, Mortal Kombat on Nintendo Wii or Halo 2 on the Xbox, for 45 minutes with a partner. The researchers employed twelve t-tests (alpha adjusted to .004) and three multiple linear regressions to explore the difference of aggression levels in gender, violent video game, and predictors of aggression. Results showed no aggression differences in all twelve t-tests for the three aggression variables (physical, verbal, and general) pre and post-tests for gender or violent video game played. Additionally, there was no support found suggesting the violent video games, gender, and time spent playing video games caused aggression. In fact, the only significance found for predicting aggression were the pre-aggression scores in all three areas of measured aggression suggesting a need for proper control of variables and that aggression may be preexisting within the individual rather than caused by violent video game play.
The authors explored personality dimensions of World of Warcraft (WoW) players and
examined the d... more The authors explored personality dimensions of World of Warcraft (WoW) players and examined the differences between the 44-item personality measure Big Five Inventory (BFI) and WoW players. The BFI measures personality traits based on the five broad domains of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The authors focused on the specifics of participant’s primary play style (player versus player [PVP], player versus environment [PVE], or role-playing [RP]), specialization of the character (tank, healer, damage), character race (13 races), character class (11 classes), and gender as it relates to the BFI personality elements. A total of 1,210 WoW players, 18 years of age, participated in the study dispersed over 188 WoW realms. The author’s findings, based on multivariate statistical analysis (MANOVA), establish a connection between personality characteristics of the BFI and the style of play of the participants. Gender differences among agreeableness, openness, and neuroticism were also found, which was consistent with past research (Costa, Terracciano, & McCrae, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001; 81: 322–331; Schmitt, Realo, Voracek, & Allik, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2008; 94: 168–182). No statistical differences were found among other areas of interest including specialization of the character, character race, and character class. In addition, there was no support found for antisocial behavior or aggressiveness from personality scores of WoW players when compared with suggested markers of antisocial personality factors (Markey & Markey, Review of General Psychology 2010; 14, 82–91).
Concerns about problematic gaming behaviors deserve our full attention. However, we claim that it... more Concerns about problematic gaming behaviors deserve our full attention. However, we claim that it is far from clear that these problems can or should be attributed to a new disorder. The empirical basis for a Gaming Disorder proposal, such as in the new ICD-11, suffers from fundamental issues. Our main concerns are the low quality of the research base, the fact that the current operationalization leans too heavily on substance use and gambling criteria, and the lack of consensus on symptomatology and assessment of problematic gaming. The act of formalizing this disorder, even as a proposal, has negative medical, scientific, public-health, societal, and human rights fallout that should be considered. Of particular concern are moral panics around the harm of video gaming. They might result in premature application of diagnosis in the medical community and the treatment of abundant false-positive cases, especially for children and adolescents. Second, research will be locked into a confirmatory approach, rather than an exploration of the boundaries of normal versus pathological. Third, the healthy majority of gamers will be affected negatively. We expect that the premature inclusion of Gaming Disorder as a diagnosis in ICD-11 will cause significant stigma to the millions of children who play video games as a part of a normal, healthy life. At this point, suggesting formal diagnoses and categories is premature: the ICD-11 proposal for Gaming Disorder should be removed to avoid a waste of public health resources as well as to avoid causing harm to healthy video gamers around the world.
This study was designed to investigate the aggression levels of college students found in the Nor... more This study was designed to investigate the aggression levels of college students found in the Northeastern part of the United States following exposure to video games. The 59 participants played their assigned game, Mortal Kombat on Nintendo Wii or Halo 2 on the Xbox, for 45 minutes with a partner. The researchers employed twelve t-tests (alpha adjusted to .004) and three multiple linear regressions to explore the difference of aggression levels in gender, violent video game, and predictors of aggression. Results showed no aggression differences in all twelve t-tests for the three aggression variables (physical, verbal, and general) pre and post-tests for gender or violent video game played. Additionally, there was no support found suggesting the violent video games, gender, and time spent playing video games caused aggression. In fact, the only significance found for predicting aggression were the pre-aggression scores in all three areas of measured aggression suggesting a need for proper control of variables and that aggression may be preexisting within the individual rather than caused by violent video game play.
The authors explored personality dimensions of World of Warcraft (WoW) players and
examined the d... more The authors explored personality dimensions of World of Warcraft (WoW) players and examined the differences between the 44-item personality measure Big Five Inventory (BFI) and WoW players. The BFI measures personality traits based on the five broad domains of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The authors focused on the specifics of participant’s primary play style (player versus player [PVP], player versus environment [PVE], or role-playing [RP]), specialization of the character (tank, healer, damage), character race (13 races), character class (11 classes), and gender as it relates to the BFI personality elements. A total of 1,210 WoW players, 18 years of age, participated in the study dispersed over 188 WoW realms. The author’s findings, based on multivariate statistical analysis (MANOVA), establish a connection between personality characteristics of the BFI and the style of play of the participants. Gender differences among agreeableness, openness, and neuroticism were also found, which was consistent with past research (Costa, Terracciano, & McCrae, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001; 81: 322–331; Schmitt, Realo, Voracek, & Allik, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2008; 94: 168–182). No statistical differences were found among other areas of interest including specialization of the character, character race, and character class. In addition, there was no support found for antisocial behavior or aggressiveness from personality scores of WoW players when compared with suggested markers of antisocial personality factors (Markey & Markey, Review of General Psychology 2010; 14, 82–91).
Uploads
Papers by Anthony Bean
examined the differences between the 44-item personality measure Big Five Inventory
(BFI) and WoW players. The BFI measures personality traits based on the five broad
domains of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
The authors focused on the specifics of participant’s primary play style (player versus
player [PVP], player versus environment [PVE], or role-playing [RP]), specialization of
the character (tank, healer, damage), character race (13 races), character class (11
classes), and gender as it relates to the BFI personality elements. A total of 1,210 WoW
players, 18 years of age, participated in the study dispersed over 188 WoW realms.
The author’s findings, based on multivariate statistical analysis (MANOVA), establish
a connection between personality characteristics of the BFI and the style of play of the
participants. Gender differences among agreeableness, openness, and neuroticism were
also found, which was consistent with past research (Costa, Terracciano, & McCrae,
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001; 81: 322–331; Schmitt, Realo,
Voracek, & Allik, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2008; 94: 168–182).
No statistical differences were found among other areas of interest including specialization
of the character, character race, and character class. In addition, there was no
support found for antisocial behavior or aggressiveness from personality scores of
WoW players when compared with suggested markers of antisocial personality factors
(Markey & Markey, Review of General Psychology 2010; 14, 82–91).
examined the differences between the 44-item personality measure Big Five Inventory
(BFI) and WoW players. The BFI measures personality traits based on the five broad
domains of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
The authors focused on the specifics of participant’s primary play style (player versus
player [PVP], player versus environment [PVE], or role-playing [RP]), specialization of
the character (tank, healer, damage), character race (13 races), character class (11
classes), and gender as it relates to the BFI personality elements. A total of 1,210 WoW
players, 18 years of age, participated in the study dispersed over 188 WoW realms.
The author’s findings, based on multivariate statistical analysis (MANOVA), establish
a connection between personality characteristics of the BFI and the style of play of the
participants. Gender differences among agreeableness, openness, and neuroticism were
also found, which was consistent with past research (Costa, Terracciano, & McCrae,
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001; 81: 322–331; Schmitt, Realo,
Voracek, & Allik, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2008; 94: 168–182).
No statistical differences were found among other areas of interest including specialization
of the character, character race, and character class. In addition, there was no
support found for antisocial behavior or aggressiveness from personality scores of
WoW players when compared with suggested markers of antisocial personality factors
(Markey & Markey, Review of General Psychology 2010; 14, 82–91).