title: The female player does not exist: gender identity relates to differences in player motivations and play styles.
abstract: This study addresses the female player of massively multiplayer online (role-playing) games and investigates how gender identity (GI), indicating a person's identification with characteristics that are traditionally defined as masculine or feminine, can be used to explain playing patterns within the female gender group. Results from an online survey (n=466) show that females' player motivations and play styles vary as a function of their GI, indicating that it is a relevant and additional predictor of play behavior and confirming that female play behavior cannot be generalized based on stereotypical male/female conceptions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Studies, University of Antwerp, Sint Jacobstraat 2, Antwerp, Belgium. karolien.poels@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: Karolien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Poels
authors.forename: Nele
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Cock
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malliet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*