The Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications GROWING UP GAMERS: FEMALE LEISURE IN DIGITAL GAMES CULTURE A Dissertation in Mass Communications by Stephanie Orme 2018 Stephanie Orme Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2018 The dissertation of Stephanie was reviewed and approved* by the following: Matthew P. McAllister Professor of Communications Chair of Graduate Programs Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Michelle Rodino-Colocino Associate Professor of Communications Patrick R. Parsons Professor of Communications Camilla J. Hodge Assistant Professor of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT This dissertation explores possible explanations and complexities surrounding women’s relationship with leisure and video games. One of my objectives with this study is to understand how women players view their relationship with gaming: how they become involved with video games, how gaming fits into their adult lives (specifically, as wives, mothers, etc.), and the reasons they play games. Primarily, I am interested in how women’s reported experiences with games affirm or challenge dominant narratives about their experiences. After surveying more than 3,000 women players and conducting 21 follow-up interviews, I discuss trends in women’s video game play, including their genre and play style preferences, motivations for playing games, the extent that they consider themselves “gamers,” and how their relationships with gaming have evolved over the course of the lives. Specifically, I investigate how gendered constraints on women’s access to and enjoyment of leisure time influence the reported trends in women’s gaming experience. I argue that such trends, which are often framed as “natural” gender-based affinities for certain types of games or ways of experiencing games, might be influenced by broader social contexts such as gender socialization, the nature of women’s leisure time, constraints placed upon their play such as physical and virtual spaces that restrict access based on gender, and the ambivalent relationship many women players have with the games industry. Scholars interested in gender-based motivations and preferences in digital games should continue to explore the various constraints that are imposed on players of different gender identities. I believe the key to understanding the complexities of how gaming decisions are made relies on researchers’ ability to examine the interplay of multiple, sometimes competing constraints. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. vii Chapter 1 Hitting Reset on Gender-based Gaming Assumptions ............................................ 1 Theoretical and Practical Implications ............................................................................. 5 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 8 Chapter Breakdown .......................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 Femininity, FPS, and free time: A review of literature on gender, leisure, and gaming .............................................................................................................................. 12 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 13 Gender and technology ............................................................................................. 13 Gaming and Motivations .......................................................................................... 17 Gendered leisure constraints .................................................................................... 22 Types of gendered constraints .................................................................................. 25 Human development and influences on women’s leisure ........................................ 27 Female leisure constraints and digital gaming ......................................................... 29 Feminizing games, niche audiences, and #Gamergate ............................................. 34 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 3 Mapping the Landscape of Female Players: A Survey ........................................... 40 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 41 Participants and recruitment ..................................................................................... 41 Instrument ................................................................................................................ 42 Procedure .................................................................................................................. 45 Security considerations ............................................................................................ 48 Findings ............................................................................................................................ 48 Introduction to gaming ............................................................................................. 49 Devices ..................................................................................................................... 51 Genre ........................................................................................................................ 61 Getting into gaming .................................................................................................. 73 Parenting as a player ................................................................................................ 77 Leisure time and gaming .......................................................................................... 81 Gamer Identity.......................................................................................................... 86 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 94 Chapter 4 Deeper Into the Dungeon: Interviews with Women Players ................................... 99 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 100 v Participants and recruitment ..................................................................................... 100 Instrument ................................................................................................................ 100 Procedure .................................................................................................................. 102 Findings ............................................................................................................................ 103 Introduction to gaming ............................................................................................. 104 Devices ..................................................................................................................... 114 Genre & motivations ................................................................................................ 117 Leisure time and gaming .......................................................................................... 126 Parental attitudes toward gaming ............................................................................. 132 Gamer identity .......................................................................................................... 138 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 144 Chapter 5 The Endgame for Female Players and Games as Leisure ....................................... 150 Implications ...................................................................................................................... 154 Limitations ....................................................................................................................... 157 Future Research ................................................................................................................ 159 References ................................................................................................................................ 161 Appendix A IRB Correspondence Letter ........................................................................ 182 Appendix B Survey Questions ........................................................................................ 183 Appendix C Recruitment Card ........................................................................................ 185 Appendix D Recruitment Flyer ....................................................................................... 186 Appendix E Interview Recruitment Letter ...................................................................... 187 Appendix F Interview Questions .................................................................................... 188 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Average Age, Starting

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