Concerning gamer identity: An examination of individual factors associated with accepting the label of gamer

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v24i3.9443

Keywords:

online gaming, video games, social identity, quantitative analysis

Abstract

This study examined characteristics of players that self-identified as gamers. Participants (N=476) were asked to complete an online survey and provide information about their video game play. Analyses of the survey responses found support for gamers being younger, men, and playing more. We also found that some of the genres of play and technology used diverged from previous research. The two most surprising findings were that gamers preferred to play on consoles more than on computers, and massive-multiplayer online games were not the most played genre. This paper contributed to research in three ways: previous assumptions surrounding gamer identity and demographics were tested, the genre of games and method of play were examined to refine the definition of a gamer, and the implications of gamer identity were discussed.

Author Biographies

William T. Howe, University of Oklahoma

Communication

Doctoral Student

William Howe is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma. His research focuses on organizational communication, specifically on high reliability organizations, as well as communication and technology. He received his M.S. from Texas Christian University in Communication Studies.

Dalaki Jym Livingston, University of Oklahoma

Communication

Doctoral Student

Dalaki Jym Livingston is a, M.A., Doctoral Student in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Livingston examines health communication contexts within indigenous populations. Livingston is currently working with a research  consortium at the Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomic Research (CEIGR). Livingston has presented at several conferences with the Popular Cultural Association, National Communication Association Conference, and  Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

Sun Kyong Lee, University of Oklahoma

Communication

Associate Professor

Sun Kyong (Sunny) Lee, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Lee examines socio-cultural processes of communication technology uses and organizational communication network dynamics. Lee has published research in Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Communication Research, Computers in Human BehaviorManagement Communication Quarterly, and First Monday

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Published

2019-03-01

How to Cite

Howe, W. T., Livingston, D. J., & Lee, S. K. (2019). Concerning gamer identity: An examination of individual factors associated with accepting the label of gamer. First Monday, 24(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v24i3.9443