Study finds link between avatar gender and game play behavior

The gender of avatars in action role-playing games could affect how people play, according to new research from Nottingham Trent University (NTU).

The study by NTU psychologists examined the in-game behavior of 276 male and 77 female players of Fallout: New Vegas in relation to number of quests completed, number of locations discovered, and number of non-player characters (NPCs) killed.

The findings showed significant interaction between avatar gender and player gender for both quest completion and location discovery. The research is published in Entertainment Computing.

Players who controlled an avatar of the same gender as themselves were significantly more likely to complete a larger number of quests and discover more locations, suggesting an own-gender bias whereby players experience greater identification with avatars that share their gender.

However, own-gender bias was not present for the variable of NPCs or enemies killed. The study found that players controlling female avatars were significantly more likely to kill more NPCs and enemies than those controlling male avatars, regardless of the player’s own gender—contradicting gender stereotypes that portray men as more aggressive than women.

Dr. Kim Szolin, lead researcher and psychologist at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, said, “We looked at game play behavior from the view of the Proteus effect, which suggests that players’ attitudes and behaviors may be influenced by the observed characteristics of their avatar.

“Research suggests that even something as fundamental to a person’s identity as gender can be temporarily replaced by the adopted gender of their avatar.”

The study focused on Fallout: New Vegas as the game gives players a large amount of freedom and choice in how to play the game, meaning that they may be more easily influenced by their avatar without being constrained by game-based restrictions that could inhibit the occurrence of the Proteus effect.

The game also provides players with freedom of choice in how they complete quests or missions and how they interact or navigate through the game world.

A player may also deviate from the intended activities and quest route and either skip or avoid missions to pursue other in-game activities, such as completing minor quests, collecting items and equipment, or even spending time gambling for in-game currency.

Kim added, “Our results suggest that players who identify more strongly with their avatars may derive more enjoyment from the game and are therefore more motivated to play and perform well.

“However, the finding that female avatars were associated with a higher number of in-game kills might be explained by a shift in the representation of female characters in media, including video games.

“In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward portraying female characters as more aggressive, assertive, and combat-ready and this may have led players to associate these traits with female avatars.”