Attitudes Toward Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Online Multiplayer Gaming Spaces

Online video game communities can provide a sense of belonging and support for marginalized people, while at the same time, can be rife with prejudice and discrimination. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of both positive and negative comments about sexual orientation and gender identity dur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological reports 2024-12, Vol.127 (6), p.3066-3088
Main Authors: Gillin, Laura E., Signorella, Margaret L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Attitude
Female
Gender Identity
Humans
Internet
Male
Middle Aged
Prejudice
Sexual and Gender Minorities - psychology
Sexual Behavior - psychology
Social and Personality Psychology
Video Games - psychology
Young Adult
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Summary:Online video game communities can provide a sense of belonging and support for marginalized people, while at the same time, can be rife with prejudice and discrimination. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of both positive and negative comments about sexual orientation and gender identity during online gaming, and to test the hypothesis that LGBTQ+ people witness or experience more prejudice than do heterosexual and cisgender persons. An online survey, distributed on social media sites and a psychology subject pool, included rating scales and open-ended questions on game-related conversations. Respondents (N = 185) provided negative examples made by others more frequently than positive ones and attributed serious comments to themselves versus jokes and offhand comments to others. Across all respondent gender identities, the targets of the negative comments by others were almost always LGBTQ+ persons. These results bolster critiques of online gaming environments as hostile to members of marginalized groups.
ISSN:0033-2941
1558-691X
1558-691X
DOI:10.1177/00332941231153798