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[IbizaPocholo]

Study Says Sexualization of Female Video Game Characters Can Lead to Sexual Harassment

Researchers conduct a study on how sexualization of female video game characters can lead to real world sexual harassment by those who play those games toward women.

gamerant.com

A study conducted by Jonathan Burnay (University of Liege), Brad J Bushman (Ohio State University), and Frank Laroi (University of Bergen) called “Effects of sexualized video games on online sexual harassment” looks to answer that question. The study consisted of 211 participants, with some asked to play Ultra Street Fighter 4 with sexualized female characters, and some asked to play the same game with non-sexualized female characters (achieved by equipping different costumes, though the costumes shown in the image from the research appear to be mods and not part of the base game). After playing, participants were given the chance to send sexist jokes to a male or female partner.

The researchers predicted that those who played Ultra Street Fighter 4 with sexualized female characters would be more likely to sexually harass female partners than those who didn’t. The results showed that sexual harassment toward a female partner was more common for “participants who played the game with sexualized female characters” when compared to those who did not. “These findings indicate that sexualization of female characters in a video game can be a sufficient condition to provoke online sexual harassment toward women.”

The researchers named two results from their study that surprised them. One is that more sexist jokes were actually sent to men than to women. Secondly, researchers found that female participants sent “significantly more sexist jokes than male participants.”

Since this is a subject that hasn’t been researched all that much, it’s clear that more studies are needed. One area that the researchers suggest further studies should explore is how the violence in the game may have impacted the results. “Future studies might address this limitation by explicitly distinguishing between sexualized content and violent content,” they explained.

 

[Spukc]

sexually harass female partners

The fuck does this even mean?

 

[EightBit Man]

Meanwhile, back in sanity ville...

 

[JORMBO]

The article doesn't include any detailed data or information. What are they considering "sexist jokes".? Were the people who played with the sexualized costumes more likely to send "sexist jokes" prior to participating in the study also?

sexually harass female partners

The fuck does this even mean?

Based on the previous paragraph I think they are considering sending "sexist jokes" as their criteria.

 

[InterMusketeer]

The results showed that sexual harassment toward a female partner was more common for “participants who played the game with sexualized female characters” when compared to those who did not.

The researchers named two results from their study that surprised them. One is that more sexist jokes were actually sent to men than to women. Secondly, researchers found that female participants sent “significantly more sexist jokes than male participants.”

So when a "sexist joke" is sent to a woman, it's potential sexual harassment. But then when it turns out the majority of sexist jokes are told by women to men, the sexual harassment is no longer mentioned. I wonder who decided to word it that way.

 

[Birdo]

This is no different from the "Violent games make people violent" bullshit we had to endure through the 90's.

 

[petran79]

So if they used pregnant mods they'd want to impregnate their female partners?
If they were using muscle or fat mods, would they urge their partners to go the the gym or become obese?

 

[CJY]

 

[ROMhack]

Interesting study. They're basically suggesting that the presence of sexual stimuli increased propensity to reference sexist jokes, which they class as 'harassment'.

It's also a lab experiment so not exactly something that replicates real life. Always a limitation of that particular methodology.

The article doesn't include any detailed data or information. What are they considering "sexist jokes".? Were the people who played with the sexualized costumes more likely to send "sexist jokes" prior to participating in the study also?

Based on the previous paragraph I think they are considering sending "sexist jokes" as their criteria.

They mention the following but don't mention exactly what the jokes were. I'd hope it's in the Appendices of the original study.

In this task, participants were presented with 16 PowerPoint slides. Each slide contained a pair of jokes written in French. Odd-numbered slides contained two nonsexist jokes (e.g., “Why do sharks swim in salt water? Because pepper would make them sneeze!”), and even-numbered slides contained one sexist joke and one nonsexist joke. Sexist jokes were gender specific. That is, female sexist jokes were used for female partners (e.g., “Why is it called PMS? Because ‘Mad Cow Disease’ was already taken.”), whereas male sexist jokes were used for male partners (e.g., “What do you call a man who has lost his intelligence? A widower”). Participants had to decide which of the two jokes to send their partner using a Skype chat.

Bold is a good point. They do mention 'internal states' in the Limitations section but don't proceed to mention this specifically.

Published study here --> https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/231494/1/Burnay, Bushman & Laroi - 2019.pdf

 

[TeamGhobad]

this study will be the rallying cry of the SJWs. Gamergate is already their holocaust.

 

[CJY]

Breaking: Women walking around, breathing, and men also walking around and breathing can potentially lead to sexual harassment. More at 11.

 

[Closer]

So if they used pregnant mods they'd want to impregnate their female partners?
If they were using muscle or fat mods, would they urge their partners to go the the gym or become obese?

You need to conduct a study to get data for us. Get to the job!

 

[nush]

These findings indicate that sexualization of female characters in a video game can be a sufficient condition to provoke online sexual harassment toward women.”

They don't even need the sexual content in games for that!

 

[MagnesG]

A pattern that still arbitrary though. Even then, sexist joke to opposite partners are sexual harassment now? What kind of hypothesis is this?

 

[Dontero]

So in other words the proved that females who wore scantly clad clothing are partially responsible for male harassment ?

Muslims were right.

 

[Closer]

So in other words the proved that females who wore scantly clad clothing are partially responsible for male harassment ?

Muslims were right.

This is the only true answer and Allah is gonna purge us all for our sins.

 

[Virex]

But did they do a study with people that live in the real world or did they do a study with people that live in fantasy land?

 

[nush]

Jonathan Burnay (University of Liege), Brad J Bushman (Ohio State University), and Frank Laroi (University of Bergen)

These soy boys are going to be rolling in all that feminist student pussy now.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

I never had a gaming console or PC as a kid but I remember when I was 7, in first grade, I was chasing this girl to drop her pants in the school grounds during lunch break for days. So no, not true about games.

 

[Trojita]

You guys are missing something important:

The researchers named two results from their study that surprised them. One is that more sexist jokes were actually sent to men than to women. Secondly, researchers found that female participants sent “significantly more sexist jokes than male participants.”

 

[ROMhack]

But did they do a study with people that live in the real world or did they do a study with people that live in fantasy land?

Read the study for your answer.

 

[Trojita]

I also find it funny that they had to use lewd mods for their research since apparently vanilla Ultra Street Fighter 4 wasn't sexy enough.

 

[ROMhack]

I also find it funny that they had to use lewd mods for their research since apparently vanilla Ultra Street Fighter 4 wasn't sexy enough.

Yeah they went looking for it a bit. A follow-up study could use more normal costumes to see the effects.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

This study is garbage.

- only 211 participants
- everyone was offered the chance to send a sexist joke, which means they weren't allowed to be naturally sexist on their own accord
- men received more harassment, and women were more sexist than the men were

But HEY, IT CAN LEAD TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN OUR CAREFULLY-RIGGED TEST.

Concerned mothers can fuck off. Are we gleefully charging back into Jack Thompson days?

 

[nush]

I also find it funny that they had to use lewd mods for their research since apparently vanilla Ultra Street Fighter 4 wasn't sexy enough.

I'd like to have seen the results if they'd used Striking Vipers VR as the game.

 

[danielberg]

.

Do you ever wonder if giving this shit clicks, attention and spreading it is a good idea?
Its kinda dumb isnt it?

 

[The Mad Draklor]

This is a bogus study. For one thing, correlation isn’t causation. Secondly, men received more sexist jokes. Thirdly, sexist jokes and sexual harassment aren’t one in the same.

 

[RedVIper]

This is super disengenous and a shit test.

211 people participated.
No control group as far as I can tell.
The women are more sexist than men.
Sexual harassment=sexist jokes, somehow.
How dafuq do you measure how sexist a joke is.
But hei, makes for a nice headline.

 

[Dontero]

You guys are missing something important:

The researchers named two results from their study that surprised them. One is that more sexist jokes were actually sent to men than to women. Secondly, researchers found that female participants sent “significantly more sexist jokes than male participants.”

Male burka then.

 

[Tesseract]

these scientists are cum chumps

 

[//DEVIL//]

written by someone who never got hit on even once ….

 

[Saber]

Can someone explain to me why the heck they were presented with powerpoint slides with sexist jokes?

Why they have to watch sexist jokes in the first place? Weren't this test supposed to proves that female sexualized characters naturally leads to sexual harassment?

This research sounds fishy and misleading.

 

[ROMhack]

Can someone explain to me why the heck they were presented with powerpoint slides with sexist jokes?

Why they have to watch sexist jokes in the first place? Weren't this test supposed to proves that female sexualized characters naturally leads to sexual harassment?

This research sounds fishy and misleading.

Yeah, I can see what they were going for but it seems quite unnatural.

Only in the context of this study, players were more inclined to send sexist jokes after playing as sexualised characters. It can be used to support further studies but in no way is it a definitive study itself.

 

[strange headache]

This study is garbage.

- only 211 participants
- everyone was offered the chance to send a sexist joke, which means they weren't allowed to be naturally sexist on their own accord
- men received more harassment, and women were more sexist than the men were

But HEY, IT CAN LEAD TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN OUR CAREFULLY-RIGGED TEST.

Concerned mothers can fuck off. Are we gleefully charging back into Jack Thompson days?

Yeah, their methodology was shoddy at best. Also, if you present participants with a PowerPoint presentation full of sexist jokes, maybe that's the reason why they sent those sexist jokes and not the game they played prior to that. Exposing participants to a second behavior trigger that is not controlled for is unscientific and might heavily skew your results.

Basically their study should be more aptly titled:

Effects of [our] sexualized video games PowerPoint presentation on online sexual harassment

 

[#Phonepunk#]

3 dudes studying 211 people playing 1 fighting game

Yeah this proves nothing besides it’s easy as fuck to get paid for bullshit studies

 

[Astartes]

This study is fascinating. Why are some of you guys discounting the findings?

 

[nush]

This study is fascinating. Why are some of you guys discounting the findings?

It's only a 35 post topic, couldn't be bothered to read the reasons?

 

[Tesseract]

This study is fascinating. Why are some of you guys discounting the findings?

because it's blatant shit

 

[The Alien]

this study will be the rallying cry of the SJWs. Gamergate is already their holocaust.

Does that make Anita Sarkessian Hitler?

 

[Gormless Noodle]

So me and my pea brain once learned to check things like sources, here's what the source says

Participants (N = 211) played a video game with either sexualized or non‐sexualized female characters. After gameplay, they had the opportunity to sexually harass a male or a female partner by sending them sexist jokes.

SEXIST. JOKES. THAT'S THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT THEY MEAN. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

Reminds me of these "NINETY EIGHT PERCENT OF RAPE ON CAMPUS IS MEN RAPING WOMEN" and then when you check what they deem rape it'd be shit like "dey called her slut, iz rape"

 

[TeamGhobad]

Does that make Anita Sarkessian Hitler?

no we are hitler...

 

[Saber]

This study is fascinating. Why are some of you guys discounting the findings?

The way the test was meant to be is to prove that sexual characters tends sexual harassment from the test subjects.


The problem is that the subjects were influenced by pre-made sex jokes.

 

[Astartes]

because it's blatant shit

Good argument.

 

[Tesseract]

Good argument.

dude read the fucking thread, i'm not gonna post the same argument that echoes what's already been said

you creepy mudda fucka you

 

[Astartes]

you creepy mudda fucka you

Creepy?

 

[Imperialis]

Creepy?

Who’s your Avatar? Love me some big anime tiddy.

 

[Saber]

Good argument.

I don't agree with the rude comments either. But hes not wrong, theres a lot of answers here for why people disagree with that. You just need to read and see which one its worth discuss.

 

[Fragment]

I mean Ms. Pac-Man likes eating balls so of course the only logical conclusion gamers could come to is that ALL women would enjoy their balls. That's how it's done right?

This study is so freaking pathetic.. So they take what I assume to be straight men that gravitate towards an attraction to the opposite sex and equate that to them being more aggressive.

Why don't you just do testosterone test of males instead of video games? I wonder what the result will be..

I hope nobody pays much attention to "research" like this where the results are per-determined and then used as ammunition for terrible arguments and come up with terms like toxic masculinity eventually leading to shitty razor commercials against men.. that would be the worst timeline to live in.

I'm also sure that men harass other men more it's our competitive nature.

 

[Hudo]

So, I skimmed over the paper and while they have a sample size of 211 (which is actually far more than most studies of this sort), which is not bad, they don't seem to have a control group/baseline group, which shouldn't actually make it publishable in any conference proceedings. Also, I would have liked to see their data tested against more than the one confluence model, to see if it holds on other models as well. However, studies in psychology currently suffer a huge reproducability problem... So, I haven't gotten far into the paper and look up whether their method is properly reproducible.

 

[joe_zazen]

3 dudes studying 211 people playing 1 fighting game

Yeah this proves nothing besides it’s easy as fuck to get paid for bullshit studies

You’d be surprised how easy it is to get funding in certain areas and how hard it is in others. Like for decades, it was almost impossible to get money to study the role of high fuctose corn syrup and cane sugar in obesity. But want to study fats? Cha-ching! Cuz scientists love money just like everyone else. There is sooooooo much politic-ing in academia, and the hard sciences can be the worst. Right now, try floating a study that has even a tiny skepticism towards global warming.