milad khodadadian; rasool norouzi seyed hossini; Marjan Saffari
Abstract
IntroductionBased on the available statistics, video games currently represent the world's most popular form of leisure activity. Reports suggest that, by 2023, almost half of the global population will devote a significant portion of their free time to playing video games. Research and surveys highlight ...
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IntroductionBased on the available statistics, video games currently represent the world's most popular form of leisure activity. Reports suggest that, by 2023, almost half of the global population will devote a significant portion of their free time to playing video games. Research and surveys highlight the existence of gender dynamics in the context of video games, similar to other leisure activities. Historically, the number of female gamers has been significantly lower than that of male gamers, but today, females comprise nearly half of the world's gaming community. This shift represents a reduction in gender disparities across various recreational domains. Moreover, the use of video games can be an effective method for raising awareness of gender issues in other social contexts. Studies indicate that males and females possess distinct motivations for playing computer games, and these incentives and perceived constraints have a significant impact on their engagement in such leisure activities. To gain a deeper understanding of the role that gender plays and to analyze these motivations and constraints, it is essential to employ a relevant and suitable framework. One of the most effective models for examining the motivations behind leisure activities is the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM), developed by Funk and James in 2001. This model enables the assessment of gamers' motivations and constraints based on gender throughout the different stages of their gaming experiences.Materials and MethodsData were gathered through a questionnaire, and reports suggest that the average age of gamers is 22 years old, with individuals who engage in gaming seriously spending about one and a half hours playing each day (ICVGF, 2019). Therefore, the target population for this research is occasional gamers aged 30, who spend between 1 and 6 hours playing video games per week. The required sample size for this study, as calculated by PASS software, is 300 individuals. The research included several survey instruments, including a demographic form, Cianferone et al.'s Participation Motivation Questionnaire (2011), Crawford's Leisure Limitations Questionnaire (1991), and Funk's Psychological Continuum Questionnaire (2008). The demographic questions covered age, gender, education, income, marital status, and the number of hours spent gaming per week. The response scale for the questionnaires measuring participation motives, leisure constraints, and psychological continuum was a seven-point Likert scale. To analyze the data, participants were initially categorized into one of four groups (awareness, attraction, attachment, and allegiance) based on their scores in the psychological continuum model (PCM) questionnaire. Next, male and female gamers were compared using an independent t-test, based on their group placement. Multiple Diagnostic Analysis (MDA) via the SPSS software was utilized to categorize the samples into the aforementioned groups, with data analysis undertaken at a significance level of p<0.05.ResultsThe descriptive statistics for Perceived Leisure Constraints, Motivations, and PCM indicate notable findings. In terms of Perceived Constraints, the dimension of "Cost" demonstrated the highest average score of 4.83, whereas the dimension of "Psychological" had the lowest average score of 3.28. Similarly, for Perceived Motivations, "Entertainment" displayed the highest average score of 4.75, and "Social Interaction" had the lowest average score of 4.19. In the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM), "Pleasure" attained the highest average score of 4.71, followed by "Sign" with an average of 4.10, and "Central" with an average of 4.06. Based on the scores obtained in the PCM questionnaire, the participants in the sample were categorized into four stages of the PCM: Awareness, Attraction, Attachment, and Allegiance. Specifically, the sample consisted of 42 individuals in the Awareness stage, 79 individuals in the Attraction stage, 126 individuals in the Attachment stage, and 53 individuals in the Allegiance stage. Analysis of the independent t-test results for male and female gamers across the four levels of the PCM revealed the following:At the "Awareness" level, no significant difference was found between female and male gamers in the variables of "Perceived Constraints" and "Participation Motivation" (P > 0.05).At the "Attraction" level, no significant difference was observed between female and male gamers in the variables of "Perceived Constraints" and "Participation Motivation" (P > 0.05).At the "Attachment" level, significant differences were found between female and male gamers in the variables of "Perceived Constraints" and "Participation Motivation" (P < 0.05). This indicates that in the "Allegiance" stage of the Psychological Continuum, female gamers exhibited a lower average score in "Perceived Leisure Constraints" compared to male gamers, while male gamers demonstrated a higher average score in "Participation Motivation" compared to female gamers.At the "Allegiance" level, significant differences were identified between female and male gamers in the variables of "Perceived Constraints" and "Participation Motivation" (P < 0.05). This implies that in the "Allegiance" stage of the Psychological Continuum, female gamers displayed a lower average score in "Perceived Leisure Constraints" compared to male gamers, while male gamers demonstrated a higher average score in "Participation Motivation" compared to female gamers.Discussion and ConclusionThe objective of this study was to investigate the influence of gender in understanding perceived constraints and motivations of Iranian gamers based on the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM). The results indicate that at the initial stages of the PCM (i.e., Awareness and Attraction), gender does not significantly affect the understanding of participants regarding the perceived constraints and motivations. Nonetheless, as individuals progress through the stages of the PCM and arrive at higher levels (i.e., Attachment and Allegiance), perceived constraints and motivations exhibit differences based on gender. Notably, male gamers tend to obtain higher scores in both variables. This study's findings suggest that there is no significant difference in motivation and perceived constraints between male and female players at the initial stages of the PCM. Upon examining the data, it becomes evident that both female and male gamers possess similar motivations and perceived constraints. However, it is the intensity of their understanding of perceived constraints and the strength of their motivations that contribute to the advancement of males within the stages of the PCM more so than females. Ultimately, distinct differences exist between male and female gamers in video game participation in Iran, with the infrastructure and cultural context of the activity being more catered towards masculine interests. Despite the significant number of female gamers in Iran, their allegiance and loyalty to the activity do not increase to the same extent as that of males, even after becoming attracted to the activity. This is attributed to males demonstrating stronger motivations and the ability to overcome constraints, resulting in the development of a stronger allegiance to the activity.
Mohammadagha Delavarpour; Ahmad Aramdahaneh; sara Nikmanesh
Abstract
In recent years, smartphones addiction has become a relatively common phenomenon among adolescent users. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of smartphone addiction in the mental health of adolescent girls and boys. This study was performed by a causal-comparative research method. ...
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In recent years, smartphones addiction has become a relatively common phenomenon among adolescent users. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of smartphone addiction in the mental health of adolescent girls and boys. This study was performed by a causal-comparative research method. The statistical population of this study was all second-grade high school students in the Mahdishahr city of Semnan. In this study, 211 students, were selected by cluster sampling from the research population. The measurement tool included the smartphone addiction inventory-short form (SPAI-SF). This tool was used to screen addicted people from non-addicts. The subjects' mental health level was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (G.H.Q). Data were analyzed using factorial MANOVA. The results indicated non-significance of interactive effect and significance of the main effects of two variables of smartphone addiction and gender on student mental health. The general score of mental health and physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression was lower among smartphone-addicted students than that of normal students. It was also found that the general score of mental health and physical symptoms and anxiety of female students was lower than that of male students. This result shows the harmful effects of smartphone addiction on reducing the physical and psychological health of adolescent users. Therefore, taking action to prevent smartphone addiction can prevent further physical and psychological harm to users.
Reza Kazemian
Abstract
The use of emoji / emoticon is increasingly popular across the world in different platforms of online communication and they are commonly used in modern text communication as well. According to analyzed data, Iranian internet users would rather use emoji than emoticon due to some reasons, namely, expressive, ...
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The use of emoji / emoticon is increasingly popular across the world in different platforms of online communication and they are commonly used in modern text communication as well. According to analyzed data, Iranian internet users would rather use emoji than emoticon due to some reasons, namely, expressive, practical and aesthetic reasons. This study is set forth to explore whether the use of emoji bears any relationship to the gender and age among Iranian internet users. The result of statistical analysis has patently revealed that women tend to use emoji (both positive and negative) more than men; correspondingly, they are considered more emotional with respect to sentiment analysis. Moreover, the result has demonstrated that women openly express their emotions and love with emoji in social media similar to real life. Concerning age, collected data display that there is an inverse relationship between the age and the frequency of emoji use. In other words, the frequency of the emoji use would be substantially declined by growing older. This study can provide a base for future research most notably those pertaining to machine learning, natural language processing and designing models for predicting online demographical information.
Mohammad Rezaei; Mohammad Ali Khalili Ardakani; Behrang Zabetian
Abstract
In this paper, we have tried to investigate the construction process of the feminine self on Facebook. In this regard, using Qualitative Content Analysis method, we have checked out Facebook profiles of 20 professional users. The results indicate optimistic approach toward the presence of women on Facebook. ...
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In this paper, we have tried to investigate the construction process of the feminine self on Facebook. In this regard, using Qualitative Content Analysis method, we have checked out Facebook profiles of 20 professional users. The results indicate optimistic approach toward the presence of women on Facebook. In other words, while traditional gender stereotypes assume women to be emotional, obedient, passive, dependent, and attractive, female professional users have presented themselves as active, independent, powerful, and critical of existing social conditions in different parts of their Facebook profile such as posts on the wall, profile photos, privacy settings, profile names, comments, friends, and groups. So, to some extent we can see breaks in the boundaries of binary-gender on Facebook.
