UNLV researcher studies WoW social interaction
by Mike Schramm 
May 20th 2009 at 7:00PM
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' student newspaper, the Rebel Yell, has an article up about a student there named Michael McCreery, who's studying how people interact in online games. Unfortunately, most of the article is about the game itself (most of which we already know, obviously), and there's not much about how he actually did the study: apparently he had people play WoW using only the ingame chat, and surveyed them afterwards about it.How exactly that tells you how to "quantify the social interactions of participants in the game so that future online games can build better environments," we have no idea, but we'll leave that to the experts. Basically, McCreery and his team are examining how people use and interact with others in the game to see how we project ourselves and our characters.
Eventually, he wants to do something "education or therapeutic" with the information, though that too is left pretty open. Virtual environments like World of Warcraft do definitely engender ties between players -- is it possible that those ties can be used in an academic or therapeutical setting? Definitely an interesting line of research.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Guilds, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Elathil May 20th 2009 7:09PM
I wonder if this has anything to do with the University students posting threads asking about sexism in the official forums.
shyrt May 20th 2009 7:15PM
Well, at least it wasn't negative. :D
Hunglikehors May 20th 2009 7:35PM
hmm...UNLV isn't actually a well-recognized bastion of higher learning.
I guess it is nice that someone took time out of their Blackjack classwork to study something else.
Thanory May 20th 2009 7:59PM
I'm shocked that you would think nothing but the highest education standards are held in Vegas. I would like to think in a city that never sleeps some for of studying happens.
Also, is it really a big deal that some college student is finding a way to work WoW into a term paper? I would think as mainstream as MMO games have become that this would be less and less of a shock.
Sugarnotch May 20th 2009 8:00PM
LOL college tuition in this state is about of raise, Couple that with not being allowed to bet on their own basketball games, maybe the students of UNLV would be better served betting on arena matches.
seraphima May 20th 2009 8:02PM
Are these the people who have been whispering girl toons with "Cute toon, but I bet your not a woman?"
I wonder if they have a section in their research on lame and annoying pick-up messages.
Bubsa May 20th 2009 8:18PM
This thread wins, but only for the name of the student newspaper.
TTFK May 20th 2009 9:39PM
This isn't the only paper on it.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=16904075096&sid=1
Chrysanth May 20th 2009 10:13PM
:| That sounds like a classy study! I sure would like to read it IF it gets published. *skeptical face*
Thander May 20th 2009 9:52PM
Since it was just a news article they probably felt they had to explain the game so non-players would understand what the research was for. The journal article they published would have all the information.
Chrysanth May 20th 2009 10:08PM
Well, as a sociologist, I'm happy that people are paying attention to online games as a valid frame for social interactions. I'm also working on a WoW-related project. When I read the title of this entry, I was like, "Dammit!" but then I read the description, and my current project is going to be taking a completely different angle on social interactions within the game, so I don't feel too territorial. Still, though, any time an academic sees another paper on a similar topic, a little defensiveness is normal ;D
Chrysanth May 20th 2009 10:10PM
Incidentally, there have been a decent number of academic papers published about WoW, though I would imagine that dissertations on the game are uncommon.
Lemons May 20th 2009 10:16PM
More noobs trying to figure out WoW...
I'd like to read a research paper written by someone that's actually been playing for a few years, rather than some random douche who thought "Hey, the World of the Warcrafts seems popular...I'll write a paper about that!"
Manic Soul May 21st 2009 8:55AM
Imagine their joy when they find out that most of the a**holes that play this game talk just like you.
Romity May 21st 2009 10:26AM
I'm guessing people were subjected to "your a nuub" and insert your favorite link here ANAL.
Manic Soul May 21st 2009 10:32AM
My thoughts exactly. Don't forget that if any of the researchers asked a question about the game it was probably answered with "wtf n00b r u stoopid" and "choke and die".
Rook May 21st 2009 3:02AM
I, and a few friends, took part in this study. He had us come in, answer two surveys as ourselves, then play WoW for about 2 hours, then immediately after playing answer the same two surveys, only as our characters might have.
It was interesting to see how our answers would change.
In our session, no one really used the chat that I know of.
We all had heaphones on.
One of them ran some Naxx. I stomped about Icecrown.
A good time was had by all.