The female player does not exist: gender identity relates to differences in player motivations and play styles

Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2012 Nov;15(11):634-8. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2012.0164. Epub 2012 Sep 28.

Abstract

This study addresses the female player of massively multiplayer online (role-playing) games and investigates how gender identity (GI), indicating a person's identification with characteristics that are traditionally defined as masculine or feminine, can be used to explain playing patterns within the female gender group. Results from an online survey (n=466) show that females' player motivations and play styles vary as a function of their GI, indicating that it is a relevant and additional predictor of play behavior and confirming that female play behavior cannot be generalized based on stereotypical male/female conceptions.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Gender Identity*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motivation*
  • Play and Playthings / psychology
  • Video Games / psychology*