Video Games

Current Projects

Millions of adults and children, males and females play video games either online or consoles.

We are interested in how exposure to the images and roles presented in video games might influence attitudes towards certain groups and oneself. For example, does a woman demonstrate a lower self-esteem or personal body image after playing a video game such as Outlaw Volleyball that depicts women in a stereotypical sexy manner or as eye candy? Does a male demonstrate poorer attitudes towards women after playing a video game such as Outlaw Volleyball? Similar questions can be asked about attitudes towards other minority or stereotyped groups.

How do people feel about video games? We surveyed a large sample of adults and had them rate a series of video game covers for appropriateness by age group and sex of the individual. For example, would a male between the ages of 4-8 years old enjoy playing this game?