The impact of video game character viewpoints and task on perceptions of cognitive and similarity identification

Vol.14,No.4(2020)

Abstract

The following study examines the effect of character viewpoints in a video game and task (motivation) on outcomes associated with identification and enjoyment. The study employs a 2 (first-person viewpoint vs. third-person viewpoint) × 2 (task vs. no task) experimental design to test potential theoretical impacts of identification. Specifically, this study looked at how first-person and third-person viewpoints impact identification (cognitive vs. similarity) and enjoyment after playing a video game. The results showed that third-person perspectives through manipulated gaming objectives (task) positively impacted identification. Furthermore, task was associated with higher game play enjoyment. This study adds to the current literature by comparing different type’s identification (cognitive vs. similarity) and how these concepts are impacted by point-of-view and motivation. Thus, extending our theoretical understanding of identification.


Keywords:
Cognitive identification; similarity identification; third-person; first-person; video games
Author biography

Vincent J. Cicchirillo

Vincent Cicchirillo, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Saint Xavier University. He has worked as an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin & DePaul University. His work focuses upon the study of media technologies, in particular the influence of video game play features and contexts on post-game play outcomes. This research extends to advergaming, gamification, and in-game advertising effects upon consumers and players.

References

Anderson, C. A., Shibuya, A., Ihori, N., Swing, E. L., Bushman, B. J., Sakamoto, A., Rothstein, H. R., & Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in Eastern and Western countries. Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 151–173. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018251

Bandura, A. (2002). Social cognitive theory of mass communication. In J. Bryant & D. Zillmann (Eds.), LEA's communication series. Media effects: Advances in theory and research (pp. 121–153). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Boyan, A. & Sherry, J. L. (2011). The challenge in creating games for education: Aligning mental models with game models. Child Development Perspectives, 5(2), 82–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00160.x

Brown, W. J. (2015). Examining four processes of audience involvement with media personae: Transportation, parasocial interaction, identification, and worship. Communication Theory, 25(3), 259–283. https://doi.org/10.1111/comt.12053

Chory-Assad, M., & Cicchirillo, V. (2005). Empathy and affective orientation as predictors of identification with television characters. Communication Research Reports, 22, 151-156. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036810500130786

Cicchirillo V., & Appiah O. (2014). The impact of racial representations in video game contexts: Identification with gaming characters. New Media and Mass Communication, 26, 14–21. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/NMMC/article/view/13685

Cohen, J. (2001). Defining identification: A theoretical look at the identification of audiences with media characters. Mass Communication and Society, 4(3), 245–264. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327825MCS0403_01

Cohen, J. (2006). Audience identification with media characters. In J. Bryant & P. Vorderer (Ed.) Psychology of entertainment (pp. 183–197). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

DeCamp, W. & Ferguson, C. J. (2017). The impact of degree of exposure to violent video games, family background, and other factors on youth violence. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 46(2), 388–400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0561-8

Eastin, M. S. (2006). Video game violence and the female game player: Self- and opponent gender effects on game presence and aggressive thoughts. Human Communication Research, 32(3), 351–372. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2006.00279.x

Eastin, M. S, Appiah, O., & Cicchirillo, V. (2009). Identification and the influence of cultural stereotyping on postvideogame play hostility. Human Communication Research, 35(3), 337–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2009.01354.x

Entertainment Software Association. (2019). Essential facts about the computer and video game industry (2019). http://www.theesa.com/about-esa/industry-facts/

Farrar, K. M., Krcmar, M., & Nowak, K. L. (2006). Contextual features of violent video games, mental models, and aggression. Journal of Communication, 56(2), 387–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00025.x

Feilitzen, C., & Linné, O. (1975). Identifying with television characters. Journal of Communication, 25(4), 51–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1975.tb00638.x

Ferguson, C. J., & Kilburn, J. (2010). Much ado about nothing: The misestimation and overinterpretation of violent video game effects in Eastern and Western nations: Comment on Anderson et al. (2010). Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 174–178. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018566

Gabbiadini, A., Bushman, B. J., Riva, P., Andrighetto, L., & Volpato, C. (2017). Grand Theft Auto is a “sandbox” game, but there are weapons, criminals, and prostitutes in the sandbox: Response to Ferguson and Donnellan (2017). Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 46(12), 2460–2466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0731-3

Greitemeyer, T., & Mügge, D. O. (2015). "Video games do affect social outcomes: A meta-analytic review of the effects of violent and prosocial video game play": Corrigendum. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(8), 1164–1164. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167215591992

Hoffner, C., & Buchanan, M. (2005). Young Adults’ wishful identification with television characters: The role of perceived similarity and character attributes. Media Psychology, 7(4), 325–351. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0704_2

Hoffner, C., & Cantor, J. (1991). Perceiving and responding to mass media characters. In J. Bryant & D. Zillman (Eds.), Responding to the screen: Reception and reaction processes (pp. 63-101). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kelman, H. C. (1958). Compliance, identification, and internalization: Three processes of attitude change. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2(1), 51–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/002200275800200106

Kelman, H. C. (1961). Processes of opinion change. Public Opinion Quarterly, 25(1), 57–78. https://doi.org/10.1086/266996

Klimmt, C., Hefner, H., & Vorderer, P. (2009). The video game experience as “true” identification: A theory of enjoyable alterations of players’ self-perception. Communication Theory, 19(4), 351–373. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2009.01347.x

Klimmt, C., Hefner, D., Vorderer, P., Roth, C., & Blake, C. (2010). Identification with video game characters as automatic shift of self-perceptions. Media Psychology, 13(4), 323–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2010.524911

Krcmar, M., & Farrar, K. (2009). Retaliatory aggression and the effects of point of view and blood in violent video games. Mass Communication and Society, 12, 115–138.

Lee, K. M., Park, N., & Jin, S.-A. (2006). Narrative and interactivity in computer games. In P. Vorderer & J. Bryant (Eds.), Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences (pp. 259–274). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Li, B. J., & Lwin, M. O. (2016). Player see, player do: Testing an exergame motivation model based on the influence of the self avatar. Computers in Human Behavior, 59, 350–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.02.034

Lim, S., & Reeves, B. (2009). Being in the game: Effects of avatar choice and point of view on psychophysiological responses during play. Media Psychology, 12(4), 348–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213260903287242

McGloin, R., Farrar, K. M., Krcmar, M., Park, S., & Fishlock, J. (2016). Modeling outcomes of violent video game play: Applying mental models and model matching to explain the relationship between user differences, game characteristics, enjoyment, and aggressive intentions. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 442–451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.018

Monteiro, D., Liang, H.‐N., Xu, W., Brucker, M., Nanjappan, V., Yue, Y. (2018). Evaluating enjoyment, presence, and emulator sickness in VR games based on first‐ and third‐person viewing perspectives. Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, 29(3–4), Article e1830. https://doi.org/10.1002/cav.1830

Moyer-Guse, E., & Nabi, R. L. (2010). Explaining the effects of narrative in an entertainment television program: Overcoming resistance to persuasion. Human Communication Research, 36(1), 26–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2009.01367.x

Peng, W., Lin, J.-H., Pfeiffer, K. A., Winn, B. (2012). Need satisfaction supportive game features as motivation determinants: An experimental study of self-determination theory guided exergame. Media Psychology, 15(2), 175–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2012.673850

Przybylski, A. K., Weinstein, N., Murayama, K., Lynch, M. F., Ryan, R. M. (2012). The ideal self at play: The appeal of video games that let you be all you can be. Psychological Science, 23(1), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611418676

Raney, A. A., Smith, J. K., & Baker, K. (2006). Adolescents and the appeal of video games. In P. Vorderer & J. Bryant (Eds.), Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences (pp. 165–180). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), 347–363. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8

Sawyer, L. (2019, October 8th). GTA V locations that are based on real-life. GameRant. https://gamerant.com/grand-theft-auto-v-locations-real-life/

Schneider, E. F., Lang, A., Shin, M., & Bradley, S. D. (2004). Death with a story: How story impacts emotional, motivational, and physiological responses to first-person shooter video games. Human Communication Research, 30(3), 361–375. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2004.tb00736.x

Shafer, D. M., Carbonara, C. P., & Popova, L. (2014). Controller required? The impact of natural mapping on interactivity, realism, presence, and enjoyment in motion-based video games. Presence, 23(3), 267–286. https://doi.org/10.1162/PRES_a_00193

Tamborini, R., Bowman, N. D., Eden, A., Grizzard, M., & Organ, A. (2010). Defining media enjoyment as the satisfaction of intrinsic needs. Journal of Communication, 60(4), 758-777. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2010.01513.x

Trepte, S., & Reinecke, L. (2010). Avatar creation and video game enjoyment: Effects of life-satisfaction, game competitiveness, and identification with the avatar. Journal of Media Psychology, 22(4), 171–184. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000022

van Reijmersdal, E. A., Jansz, J., Peters, O., & van Noort, G. (2013). Why girls go pink: Game character identification and game-players’ motivations. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2640–2649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.046

Williams, K. D. (2011). The effects of homophily, identification, and violent video games on players. Mass Communication and Society, 14(1), 3–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205430903359701

Williams, K. D. (2013). The effects of video game controls on hostility, identification, and presence. Mass Communication and Society, 16(1), 26–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2012.661113

Yee, N. (2006). Motivations for play in online games. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9(6), 772–775. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2006.9.772

Metrics

3285

Views

2053

PDF views