5,548
Views
140
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Player Identification in Online Games: Validation of a Scale for Measuring Identification in MMOGs

, , &
Pages 197-221 | Published online: 29 May 2012

REFERENCES

  • Bailey , R. , Wise , K. and Bolls , P. 2009 . How avatar customizability affects children's arousal and subjective presence during junk food-sponsored online video games . CyberPsychology & Behavior , 12 : 277 – 283 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0292
  • Bandura , A. 1969 . “ Social-learning theory of identificatory processes. ” . In Handbook of socialization theory and research Edited by: Goslin , D. A. Vol. 213 , 213 – 262 . Chicago , IL : Rand McNally. .
  • Bandura , A. 1986 . Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory Englewood Cliffs , NJ : Prentice-Hall. .
  • Bandura , A. 2001 . Social cognitive theory of mass communication . Media Psychology , 3 : 265 – 299 . doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0303_03
  • Bandura , A. and Huston , A. C. 1961 . Identification as a process of incidental learning . Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology , 63 : 311 – 318 . doi:10.1037/h0040351
  • Bartle , R. 1996 . “ Hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades: Players who suit muds. ” . In MUSE Retrieved from http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm
  • Basil , M. D. 1996 . Identification as a mediator of celebrity effects . Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media , 40 : 478 – 495 . doi:10.1080/08838159609364370
  • Bessière , K. , Seay , A. and Kiesler , S. 2007 . The ideal elf: Identity exploration in World of Warcraft . CyberPsychology & Behavior , 10 : 530 – 535 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9994
  • Biocca , F. 1997 . The cyborg's dilemma: Embodiment in virtual environments . Journal of Computer Mediated Communication , 3 : 12 – 26 . doi:10.1111/j.1083–6101.1997.tb00070.x
  • Blizzard Entertainment . 2004 . World of Warcraft [Computer game] Irvine , CA : Blizzard Entertainment. .
  • Blunch , N. 2008 . Introduction to structural equation modelling London , , UK : Sage. .
  • Byrne , B. 2001 . Structural equation modeling with Amos Mahwah , NJ : Erlbaum. .
  • Carmines , E. and Zeller , R. 1979 . Reliability and validity assessment Beverly Hills , CA : Sage. .
  • Cohen , J. 2001 . Defining identification: A theoretical look at the identification of audiences with media characters . Mass Communication & Society , 4 : 245 – 264 . doi:10.1207/S15327825MCS0403_01
  • Cohen , J. 2006 . “ Audience identification with media characters ” . In Psychology of entertainment 183 – 197 . Mahwah , NJ : Erlbaum. .
  • Cole , H. and Griffiths , M. 2007 . Social interactions in massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers . CyberPsychology & Behavior , 10 : 575 – 583 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9988
  • De Vocht , M. , Van Looy , J. , Courtois , C. and De Marez , L. 2011 . Social contact in a MMORPG. An exploratory study into the motivations of playing World of Warcraft from a uses & gratifications perspective . Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap (Journal for Communication Science) , 39 : 44 – 63 .
  • Ducheneaut , N. , Wen , M. , Yee , N. and Wadley , G. Body and mind: A study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds . Paper presented at the CHI 2009 . Boston, MA , USA. April . doi:10.1145/1518701.1518877
  • Ellemers , N. , Kortekaas , P. and Ouwerkerk , J. W. 1999 . Self categorisation, commitment to the group and group self esteem as related but distinct aspects of social identity . European Journal of Social Psychology , 29 : 371 – 389 . doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099–0992(199903/05)29:2/3<371::AID-EJSP932>3.0.CO;2-U
  • Gosling , S. D. , Vazire , S. , Srivastava , S. and John , O. P. 2004 . Should we trust web-based studies? A comparative analysis of six preconceptions about internet questionnaires . American Psychologist , 59 : 93 – 104 . doi:10.1037/0003–066X.59.2.93
  • Hair , J. , Black , W. , Babin , B. , Anderson , R. and Tatham , R. 2006 . Multivariate data analysis Upper Saddle River , NJ : Prentice Hall. .
  • Hefner , D. , Klimmt , C. and Vorderer , P. 2007 . Identification with the player character as determinant of video game enjoyment . Lecture Notes in Computer Science , 4740 : 39 – 49 . doi:10.1007/978–3-540–74873-1_6
  • Herz , J. 1997 . Joystick nation: How videogames ate our quarters, won our hearts, and rewired our minds Boston , MA : Little, Brown. .
  • Higgins , E. 1987 . Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect . Psychological Review , 94 : 319 – 340 . doi:10.1037/0033–295X.94.3.319
  • Hoffner , C. and Buchanan , M. 2005 . Young adults' wishful identification with television characters: The role of perceived similarity and character attributes . Media Psychology , 7 : 325 – 351 . doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0704_2
  • Hsu , S. H. , Wen , M. H. and Wu , M. C. 2009 . Exploring user experiences as predictors of MMORPG addiction . Computers & Education , 53 : 990 – 999 . doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.05.016
  • Huesmann , L. R. , Lagerspetz , K. and Eron , L. D. 1984 . Intervening variables in the tv violence aggression relation—evidence from 2 countries . Developmental Psychology , 20 : 746 – 775 . doi:10.1037/0012–1649.20.5.746
  • Jansz , J. 2005 . The emotional appeal of violent video games for adolescent males . Communication Theory , 15 : 219 – 241 . doi:10.1111/j.1468–2885.2005.tb00334.x
  • Jenkins , H. 2006 . Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide New York , NY : New York University Press. .
  • Jin , S. A. A. 2009 . Avatars mirroring the actual self versus projecting the ideal self: The effects of self-priming on interactivity and immersion in an exergame . Wii Fit. CyberPsychology & Behavior , 12 : 761 – 765 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2009.0130
  • John , O. P. and Srivastava , S. 1999 . “ The Big Five trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and theoretical perspectives. ” . In Handbook of personality: Theory and research, , 2nd ed. Edited by: Pervin , L. A. and John , O. P. 102 – 138 . New York , NY : Guilford. .
  • Kenny , D. A. 2011 . Measuring model fit. Retrieved from http://www.davidakenny.net/cm/fit.htm
  • Klimmt , C. Dimensions and determinants of the enjoyment of playing digital games: A three-level model . Paper presented at the Level Up: Digital Games Research Conference . Utrecht , the Netherlands. November .
  • Klimmt , C. , Hefner , D. and Vorderer , P. 2009 . The video game experience as “true” identification: A theory of enjoyable alterations of players' self-perception . Communication Theory , 19 : 351 – 373 . doi:10.1111/j.1468–2885.2009.01347.x
  • Klimmt , C. , Hefner , D. , Vorderer , P. , Roth , C. and Blake , C. 2010 . Identification with video game characters as automatic shift of self-perceptions . Media Psychology , 13 : 323 – 338 . doi:10.1080/15213269.2010.524911
  • Konijn , E. and Hoorn , J. 2005 . Some like it bad: Testing a model for perceiving and experiencing fictional characters . Media Psychology , 7 : 107 – 144 . doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0702_1
  • Konijn , E. and Nije Bijvank , M. 2009 . “ Doors to another me: Identity construction through digital game play. ” . In Serious games: Mechanisms and effects Edited by: Ritterfeld , U. , Cody , M. and Vorderer , P. 179 – 203 . London , , UK : Taylor & Francis. .
  • Konijn , E. , Nije Bijvank , M. and Bushman , B. 2007 . I wish I were a warrior: The role of wishful identification in the effects of violent video games on aggression in adolescent boys . Developmental Psychology , 43 : 1038 – 1044 . doi:10.1037/0012–1649.43.4.1038
  • Lave , J. and Wenger , E. 1991 . Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation Cambridge , , UK : Cambridge University Press. .
  • Lee , K. 2004 . Presence, explicated . Communication Theory , 14 : 27 – 50 . doi:10.1111/j.1468–2885.2004.tb00302.x
  • Lemmens , J. S. , Valkenburg , P. M. and Peter , J. 2011 . Psychosocial causes and consequences of pathological gaming . Computers in Human Behavior , 27 : 144 – 152 . doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010.07.015
  • Lewis , M. L. , Weber , R. and Bowman , N. D. 2008 . “They may be pixels, but they're my pixels”: Developing a metric of character attachment in role-playing video games . CyberPsychology & Behavior , 11 : 515 – 518 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0137
  • Li , D. D. , Liau , A. and Khoo , A. 2011 . Examining the influence of actual-ideal self-discrepancies, depression, and escapism, on pathological gaming among massively multiplayer online adolescent gamers . CyberPsychology, Behavior and Social Networking , 14 : 535 – 539 . doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0463
  • Lim , S. and Reeves , B. 2009 . Being in the game: Effects of avatar choice and point of view on psychophysiological responses during play . Media Psychology , 12 : 348 – 370 . doi:10.1080/15213260903287242
  • Livingstone , S. 1998 . Making sense of television: The psychology of audience interpretation London , , UK : Routledge. .
  • Maccoby , E. E. and Wilson , W. C. 1957 . Identification and observational learning from films . Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology , : 55 – 76 . doi:10.1037/h0043015
  • McDonald , D. and Kim , H. 2001 . When I die, I feel small: Electronic game characters and the social self . Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media , 45 : 241 – 258 . doi:10.1207/s15506878jobem4502_3
  • Minsky , M. 1980 . Telepresence . Omni , 2 ( 9 ) : 45 – 52 .
  • Mortensen , T. E. November 2003 . Pleasures of the player: Flow and control in online games November , Bergen , , Norway : University of Bergen, Department of Humanistic Informatics. .
  • Nardi , B. and Harris , J. Strangers and friends: Collaborative play in World of Warcraft . Paper presented at the 20th anniversary conference on Computer supported cooperative work . Banff, Alberta , Canada. doi:10.1145/1180875.1180898
  • Oatley , K. 1995 . A taxonomy of the emotions of literary response and a theory of identification in fictional narrative . Poetics , 23 ( 1–2 ) : 53 – 74 . doi:10.1016/0304–422X(94)P4296-S
  • Oatley , K. 1999 . Meetings of minds: Dialogue, sympathy, and identification, in reading fiction . Poetics , 26 : 439 – 454 . doi:10.1016/S0304–422X(99)00011-X
  • Oatley , K. 2004 . “ From the emotions of conversation to the passions of fiction. ” . In Feelings and emotions: The Amsterdam symposium Edited by: Manstead , A. S. R. , Frijda , N. and Fischer , A. H. 98 – 115 . Cambridge , , UK : Cambridge University Press. .
  • Pearce , C. , Boellstorff , T. and Nardi , B. A. 2009 . Communities of play: Emergent cultures in multiplayer games and virtual worlds Cambridge , MA : The MIT Press. .
  • Peng , W. 2008 . The mediational role of identification in the relationship between experience mode and self-efficacy: Enactive role-playing versus passive observation . CyberPsychology & Behavior , 11 : 649 – 652 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0229
  • Ritterfeld , U. 2009 . “ Identity formation and emotion regulation in digital gaming. ” . In Serious games: Mechanisms and effects Edited by: Ritterfeld , U. , Cody , M. and Vorderer , P. 204 – 217 . London , , UK : Taylor & Francis. .
  • Schneider , E. , Lang , A. , Shin , M. and Bradley , S. 2004 . Death with a story . Human Communication Research , 30 : 361 – 375 . doi:10.1111/j.1468–2958.2004.tb00736.x
  • Sheridan , T. 1992 . Musings on telepresence and virtual presence . Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments , 1 : 120 – 126 .
  • Smahel , D. , Blinka , L. and Ledabyl , O. 2008 . Playing MMORPGs: Connections between addiction and identifying with a character . CyberPsychology & Behavior , 11 : 715 – 718 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0210
  • Steinkuehler , C. and Williams , D. 2006 . Where everybody knows your (screen) name: Online games as “third places.” . Journal of Computer Mediated Communication , 11 : 885 – 909 . doi:10.1111/j.1083–6101.2006.00300.x
  • Tajfel , H. 1978 . “ Social categorization, social identity and social comparison. ” . In Differentiation between social groups: Studies in the social psychology of intergroup relations Edited by: Tajfel , H. 61 – 76 . London , , UK : Academic Press. .
  • Taylor , T. 2006 . Play between worlds: Exploring online game culture Boston , MA : The MIT Press. .
  • Trepte , S. and Reinecke , L. 2010 . Avatar creation and video game enjoyment: Effects of life-satisfaction, game competitiveness, and identification with the avatar . Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications , 22 : 171 – 184 . doi:10.1027/1864–1105/a000022
  • Utz , S. 2000 . Social information processing in muds: The development of friendships in virtual worlds . Journal of Online Behavior , 1
  • Van Looy , J. 2009 . Games and self-imagining, a comparative media perspective . Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture , 3 ( 1 )
  • Van Looy , J. 2010 . Understanding computer game culture: The cultural shaping of a new medium Saarbrücken , , Germany : LAP Lambert. .
  • Vasalou , A. and Joinson , A. N. 2009 . Me, myself and I: The role of interactional context on self-presentation through avatars . Computers in Human Behavior , 25 : 510 – 520 . doi:10.1016/j.chb.2008.11.007
  • Von Feilitzen , C. and Linné , O. 1975 . Identifying with television characters . Journal of Communication , 25 ( 4 ) : 51 – 55 . doi:10.1111/j.1460–2466.1975.tb00638.x
  • Vorderer , P. 2000 . “ Interactive entertainment and beyond. ” . In Media entertainment: The psychology of its appeal Edited by: Zillmann , D. and Vorderer , P. 21 – 36 . London , , UK : Routledge. .
  • Williams , D. , Ducheneaut , N. , Xiong , L. , Zhang , Y. , Yee , N. and Nickell , E. 2006 . From tree house to barracks: The social life of guilds in World of Warcraft . Games and Culture , 1 : 338 – 361 . doi:10.1177/1555412006292616
  • Wilson , T. 1993 . Watching television: Hermeneutics, reception and popular culture Cambridge , , UK : Polity Press. .
  • Yee , N. 2006a . The demographics, motivations, and derived experiences of users of massively multi-user online graphical environments . PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments , 15 : 309 – 329 . doi:10.1162/pres.15.3.309
  • Yee , N. 2006b . Motivations for play in online games . CyberPsychology & Behavior , 9 : 772 – 775 . doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.772
  • Yee , N. 2006c . “ The psychology of massively multi-user online role-playing games: Motivations, emotional investment, relationships and problematic usage. ” . In Avatars at work and play: Collaboration and interaction in shared virtual environments Edited by: Schroeder , R. and Axelsson , A. 187 – 208 . London , , UK : Springer-Verlag. .
  • Yee , N. and Bailenson , J. 2007 . The Proteus effect: The effect of transformed self-representation on behavior . Human Communication Research , 33 : 271 – 290 . doi:10.1111/j.1468–2958.2007.00299.x
  • Yee , N. , Bailenson , J. and Ducheneaut , N. 2009 . The Proteus effect: Implications of transformed digital self-representation on online and offline behavior . Communication Research , 36 : 285 – 314 . doi:10.1177/0093650208330254
  • Zillmann , D. 1994 . Mechanisms of emotional involvement with drama . Poetics , 23 ( 1–2 ) : 33 – 51 . doi:10.1016/0304–422X(94)00020–7
  • Zillmann , D. 2006 . “ Dramaturgy for emotions from fictional narration. ” . In Psychology of entertainment Edited by: Bryant , J. and Vorderer , P. 215 – 238 . Mahwah , NJ : Erlbaum. .

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.