Open AccessRetracted: Antecedents and Consequences of Gender Swapping in Online Games
Author(s) -
Song Haeyeop,
Jung Jaemin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of computer‐mediated communication
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.15
H-Index - 119
ISSN - 1083-6101
DOI - 10.1111/jcc4.12119
Subject(s) - avatar , anonymity , psychology , social psychology , gender identity , swap (finance) , identity (music) , presentation (obstetrics) , computer science , business , computer security , human–computer interaction , medicine , physics , finance , acoustics , radiology
Abstract This study examines the reasons underlying gender swapping and its impacts on online gaming behavior. While previous studies considered gender swapping to be an abnormal or rare exception in one's self‐presentation, this study hypothesized that people swap genders as a rational choice based on practical benefits. An online survey was conducted with 318 male players of MMORPGs in Korea. Players swapped gender in games to gain benefits from other players under the condition of anonymity rather than to represent their own gender identity. Men playing female avatars displayed more socially amiable behaviors conventionally characterized as more feminine. Moreover, players were more willing to purchase virtual goods to decorate their gender swapped avatars, mediated by their emotional attachment to their avatar.