Cyber Athletes: Identification, Competition, and Affect Implications
CYBER ATHLETES: IDENTIFICATION, COMPETITION, AND AFFECT IMPLICATIONS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Robert Peter Griffiths, M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2007 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Matthew S. Eastin, Advisor Professor Osei Appiah ____________________________________ Professor Artemio Ramirez Advisor Graduate Program in Communication ABSTRACT Previous research has shown video games afford learning experiences, thus what occurs within the gaming realm is applicable to the real-world and vice-versa. Therefore, this study extends the video game effects literature by exposing the complexity of competitive gaming situations. In that spirit, this study incorporated a college football game to enact identification processes and direct competition to determine how player membership, opponent membership, and competition outcomes impact media effects variables such as enjoyment, presence, and state hostility. Two-hundred ninety four subjects participated in the 3 (opponent membership—main rival, conference opponent, other opponent) x 2 (player membership—identifier, non-identifier) x 2 (competitive outcome—win, loss) design. Overall, competition outcome significantly predicts levels of enjoyment and state hostility. Moreover, who the gamer plays as and against also influences these responses. Beating an emotionally relevant opponent solicited greater enjoyment than an irrelevant team. Further, losing while playing as an emotionally relevant team produced greater state hostility levels than losing as an emotionally irrelevant team. Similarly, losing to an emotionally relevant opponent generated higher state hostility levels than losing to an emotionally irrelevant team. ii DEDICATION Dedicated to my wife, Rachel, and my family and friends Καλεπα Τα Καλα iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This, the culmination of arduous graduate work, would not be possible without the help from so many family members, friends, and mentors.
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