1. Do Games Bring Out a
„Worst Side‟?
The Future Identity in the Virtual Worlds
By Emma Hepburn
CE502
Student Number: 1104237
Psychological
Identity

2. What is Identity?
Psychologists say Mental states
have no separate existence from
the brain itself
- The Identity theory
Coleman, (2006, pp. 363)
Contextual Selves
- We contain Multitudes
Walt Witman (Psycology Today, 2013)
Performance
- Body Projects
Phoenix (2007, pp. 49 – 50)
Ideas around the
meaning of identity:

3. Social Identity Theory
(Tajfel and Turner
1979, 1986)

4. Personality Identity – „Be my-self‟
Social Identity – „Finding self‟
Social Identity theory refers to the
categorization of the social self and its
concept. This is the „self concept‟ derived in
group membership.
The „ingroup‟ „outgroup‟ effect provides
members a sense of who they are.
This effects behaviour, such as evaluating
oneself and defining oneself.
Core Ideas:
- Have more than „one‟ self
- Contextual identity and change
- Different situations forces individual to act based on
own opinions and personality
- Many social identities
- Element of performance
- Technology of self

5. Multiple Identities
The Debate:
Tensions between two aspects
- „Be myself‟
- „Finding True Self‟
Product of personal biography (narrative self)
Polkinghorne, (1991, pp. 135-153)
Seeking multiple identification to and a with
others who share values, histories and interests.
Variations of self, due to social context.
Buckingham (2007, pp. 2-22)
Performance Identity and Technology of Self
Socially, identity can be used in a performance
sense to project a certain desired side of
oneself. This depends highly on the social
context and relates to social desirability effect.
For some, bodies can become „projects‟ to
manipulate for the sake of presenting a certain
identity to others. Altering ones body to create
an identity as a „technology of self‟.

6. How do these relate to our
virtual selves in games?
Altering Perception, Mirroring Avatars and Narratologists

7. Altering Self Perception
A role-playing type of an
interactive game can alter
a players self perception.
Positively evaluated characters in the
media are shown to evoke empathy
where as those who are considered
morally bad evoke counterempathy.
When playing a pro-social character in a
game, a subject is more likely to display
empathy.
When playing a socially undesirable
character in a game, a subject is more
likely to show little empathy.
In order to achieve their ideals and to
maintain positive self image, a person
may stay relatively pro-social, because
of social desirability.
Sueng – A Annie Jin (2011, pp. 1175- 1185)

8. Mirroring Avatars
It has been argued
that a virtual
identity is a truer
reflection of
oneself.
Cooper, explored whether digital
representations in virtual
environments were a true echo of
someone‟s image in the real
world.
Although some enjoy the
anonymity of an Avatar, that
virtual being becomes part of
their life.
In virtual worlds, multiple
identities are offered and a freer
way to self-define.
An element of expressing a different
side and escaping the social constraints
of real life.
Avatars tend to self regulate – the more
freedom you give the player the more
the player restricts himself and mirrors
own human behaviour.
„Take Second Life. It's a place where
you can get away from your first life
but it ends up looking exactly like… my
backyard.'
Chan (2007)

9. Narratologists
The Sims - Game
Study games and their storytelling
media.
The debate:
There is an immediate conflict between the
story, and the game and each of their
demands.
The ability given to design own
characters encourages players to
create those that are emotionally
significant.
This gives players a chance to
rehearse scenarios and
relationships with others.
Experience avatars with emotional
needs and learn from
consequential actions.
Gibberish language in „The Sims‟
allow for the mapping of our own
ideas and meanings.
„The Sims‟ game leaves the player
with some narrative satisfaction.
As we are always looking for the
„meaningful whole‟ we can project
that onto the idea that a game
always has a purpose.
Jenkins (no date)

10. Negative effects in Virtual Environments

11. Overall
Youth Violence
- School shootings - game players.
- One risk factor – contributes to
anti-social behaviour
- David Grossman - military games
used for training, also brutalise
young players.
- Early games - made for shooting
anything that moved, the young
person playing ill equipped for real
world.
- Speculation of anti-social
behaviour on heavy gamers lacking
interest they show in their peers
outside of virtual worlds.
- Heavy use has negative outcome
in academic achievements, self-
esteem and sociability.
- Preference for violent games are
linked to poor achieving students.
Social Effects Health Effects
- Reports of seizures occurring in
children whilst playing video
games
- Long term decreased visual
development.
- Game addiction can lead to
severe heath problems.
A Korean man for example made
the news in collapsing and later
dying after continuously playing
„StarCraft‟. He had little sleep
and little nutrition during the
marathon.
Lee and Peng (2006, pp. 327-345)

12. Aggression
Re-inforces:
- Aggression based cognitive structuring
- Perceptual Schemata
- Personal Scripts
More importantly:
Changes aggressive personality
Repeated Playing of
Violent Video Games

13. The Research So Far
Linking identity and Negative Gaming effects

14. Does this add up?
Looking at identity:
Social Identity Theory
- More than one self
- Depends highly on context
Performance Identity
- See ourselves as something
to perform
- Based on social context
Technology of self
- Social desirability
Social perception
- Altered with pro-social
characters and anti-
social characters
- However, norms are to
stay pro-social.
Mirroring Avatars
- Self Regulation
- The more freedom, the
more restriction
Narrative
- Meaningful whole
Looking at Negative Research:
Having more that one „self‟ may be
what we see changing in violent
games; the appropriate contextual
response is to be aggressive.
Because of this response to context,
what people may show only short
term aggression.
Some of the negative effects of
games here do not link with the
theories behind identity.
Most identity research focus on how
people stay pro-social.

15. So the Contrary!
Southwell and Doyle
(2004, pp. 391-401)
Explore the possibility that
critics often fail to
understand different levels
of analysis that express
different variability's.
There can be a
simultaneous existence of
both positive and negative
consequences of virtual
environments.
Ferguson
(2007, pp. 309-316)
Set out to explore the
effects of violent
videogames.
Findings showed
publication bias hugely
disrupted true results.
Once corrected, there was
no correlation between
violent video games and
exhibiting an aggressive
side.
Valadez and Ferguson
(2012, pp. 608-616)
100 participants used
Findings:
Randomized video game play
had no effect on depression,
hostility or visuospatioal
cognition.
Length of time spent playing
had no effect on depression,
hostility or visuospatioal
cognition.

16. Learning
Utility in Educational Games:
- For leaning disabilities
educational games improve
motivation.
- In military trainees these
games improve memory
retention.
- In general Motivation is
improved
- Beneficial in teaching
strategic management.
- Improvement in maths,
solving problems, reading
and comprehension.
Lee and Peng (2006, pp. 327-345)
- Even using fantasy into
education can facilitate
focalization of attention.
- Emotionally appealing
metaphor or use of fantasy
engages the subjects.
- Virtual environments
increase positivity, and
reduce anxiety when
learning
Whener, Gump and Downey (2011, pp.
277-289)

17. Myths Revealed
An Interesting Article shows common myths about
what people may think about gaming, gamers and
the effects of.
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/im
pact/myths.html

18. Do Games Bring Out a „Worst Side‟?
Psychological Identity
According to psychological identity, the research is
mixed.
Social Identity Theory – suggests pro-social
behaviour is more likely to be practiced due to
being an „ideal self‟ or having a desire to perform
socially desirable behaviour.
Mirroring – shows that subjects tend to use their
avatars as a tool to escape life-like bounderies. If
the subject has underlining aggression issues or
anti-social behaviour, it may show itself in gaming.
Learning – educational games however improves
mental abilities in many people, including those
with learning difficulties.

19. Games overall do not seem to
bring out a „Worst Side‟.
According to Psychological Identity
Future research next…

20. Due to the literature - the idea
that games have been known to
produce aggressive responses, - it
may be worth looking types of
people prone to act upon this
aggression outside of the virtual
world.
Another idea for future study
could be: Do those who mirror
aggressive behaviours in their
avatar, have aggressive
behaviour themselves?
For example, this article
expresses that restrictions
must me made for those who
are mentally unstable.
This article states the media is
blamed many times for ludicrous
acts such as massacres.
For example, the „Rise of the Dark
Knight‟ film provoked a Jame‟s
Holmes to commit a mass
shooting, because allegedly he was
„Acting like a character from the
movie.
The numbers of those who saw this
movie but did not act
aggressively, massively outweigh
the one who did.
This shows there may be an
underlining problem within the
individual.
The article touches on whether
there should be restrictions to
those who have underlining mental
health issues.
Final future proposal:
‘Should those with mental health
problems, have restrictions on
games and the media?’
This may need to be investigated
as the majority of those playing
games have positive effects.

21. “
”
That‟s it from me
Presentation By Emma Hepburn
Do Games Bring Out a „Worst Side‟?

22. Betts, J. (2012). Don’t Just See the Lion. Be the Lion. [Online] Available at:
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11/05/2013)
Buckingham, D. (2007). Introducing Identity. Youth, Identity, and Digital Media. 1 (23), pp. 2-22.
Chan, J. M. (2007). Identity in a Virtual World. [Online] Available at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/06/07/virtual_identity/. (Accessed: 14/05/2013)
Coleman, A. M. (2006). Dictionary of Psychology. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 363
Ferguson. (2007). The good, the bad and the ugly: A meta-analytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video
games. Psychiatric Quarterly. 78 (4), pp. 309-316. PsycARTICLES [Online] Available at:
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=16&sid=cbedbebe-913b-4470-9be8-
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(Accessed: 14/05/2013)
Jenkins, H. (no date). Game Design as Narrative Architecture. [Online] Available at:
http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/games&narrative.html. (Accessed: 13/05/2013)
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Phoenix, A. (2007) Identities and diversities, in Miell, D., Phoenix, A. and Thomas, K. (eds) DSE212 Mapping Psychology Book
1, The Open University

23. Polkinghorne, D, E. (1991). Narrative and Self-Concept. Journal of Narrative and Life History. 1
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Available at:
http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Interpersonal%20Communi
cation%20and%20Relations/Social_Identity_Theory.doc/. (Accessed: 12/05/2013)
Tanvi Kejrival. (2013). Restrictions for the mentally unstable. [Online] Available at:
http://sites.davidson.edu/medcomm/?p=1356. (Accessed 15/05/2013)
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undergraduate students learning a foreign language. . Computer Assisted Language Learning. 24
(3), pp. 277-289 PsycARTICLES [Online] Available at:
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=16&sid=7b74c8e1-0940-4ea8-b3f7-
6d0df0a87822%40sessionmgr113&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=e
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