Interesting Research Finding

[Eärendil]

Just a short report out of a commission / audition for a new professorship of our depatment: A young psychology-professor showed empirical research findings indicating that there is a strong correlation between real life-moral orientations and ethics and behavior in the internet - e.g. on boards and ingame. In a nutshell her findings suggest that the majority of "online-jerks" are cultivating corresponding "jerk-"worldviews" in RL, too. RP is rather a niche-phenomenon. Based on large scale research, not on individual experiences. Interesting, not? It indicates that behind most e.g. forum-jerks there are true RL-jerks are sitting at the keyboard.

DISCLAIMER: This post / research hint does not address classic / honorable PKing but rather manifest trolling, harrassment, flaming, griefing. And it does not refer to individual opinion but reknowned research.

 

[Petra Fyde]

I've always felt that cyber-bullies were RL bullies with the brakes off.

 

[Eärendil]

Me too, Petra

 

[FrejaSP]

I believe many forget, a game like UO is a RP game, where it is allowed to play a jerk as good vs evil is a part of the game.

If players choose to play on a shard like Siege, they have to accept that. If someone steal from you, kill and loot you or in other ways interrupt your game play, you have to be smart and find ways to handle it.

Instead of look at the evil player as a jerk, try to look at him as a challenge.

In old days, we had way more monster spawn on the overland, but a lot cried, they could not do lumbering and mining without dying to monsters. The monsters was removed.
In old days, we had a lot PK's roaming the land of Britannia, again a lot was crying and the PK's was removed from most places.

I always looked of PK's as a more smart group of monsters, not as jerks. How you react will effect how they act vs you.

Lets say, Devs added a group of roaming Lich Lords or group of brigands with 2-3 archers and an evil mage or two or a group of orcs with 2-3 mages. Then let them roam all over Britainnia or Males, including lower levels of dungeons
Then let them loot too and rez kill.

I'm sure alot would cry loud and even call the devs for jerks. Why not accept the challenge, get some gaurdian guild up running to call when in trouble.

Why are players trying to play that role in a RP game with good and evil labeled jerks?

In the past, PK groups would attack miners or lumbers to make them call their gaurdians for help. When the gaurdians showed both the PK's and the guardiand got a good fight and had fun and the little miner or lumber could go on with his game and feel someone tried to protect him.

With that said, I don't say, there can't be real jerks between them but they are rare.

Who here is 100% good? I sure have my moments but I also have a lot to share.

 

[Max Blackoak]

I don't think you understood Alzheimer's point or the conclusion of this research Freja. This is not about PK vs Trammie. It is about the connection between online and real life behavioral patterns...

 

[FrejaSP]

You may be right. Still I don't like the word jerk, I also tend to ask why do he/she act like that. Yes I know, I do give people way more line than most do

 

[Eärendil]

After the presentation there is usually a chance for asking questions in oder to find out the suitability of the colleague for the professorship. Another professor asked her, if she wants to insunuate that ingame-/forum-arses (!) are RL-arses, too? And she answered (quote): most probably, yes!

I try to get her research papers and link them here. Most interesting! Researchers actually deal with "us" *giggles*

 

[Sargatanza]

Doc, Your good words does not change the fact that even the most notorious villains may have great ideas and desire to implement them.

 

[FrejaSP]

And he/she may have a heart too, something just made it frozen, question is how to make the ice break, so he/she can feel again.

Because someone is professor and make a research, it do not have to be true.

 

[kelmo]

*shakes head*

 

[TheDrAJ]

And he/she may have a heart too, something just made it frozen, question is how to make the ice break, so he/she can feel again..

Seems reasonable - maybe

.... Because someone is professor and make a research, it do not have to be true.

ahh Freja - you never have learned to quit while you are ahead. Did you even consider that the research might be correct instead of attacking since it doesn't fit your bad boy fixation.

*shakes head*

 

[Lady Michelle]

Freja sees the good in everyone even the real jerks in game cyber bullies I can not fault her for wanting to help everyone, if one person could get threw to them there will be one less cyber bully out there. Sometimes I forget things I'm against when I'm typing things out, Doc pointed out that. Like I've said players pay for their accounts should be able to play the way they want on it. but not if they go around cyber bulling,and personal attacks on others.

 

[Eärendil]

People tend to forget that there is a difference between research findings and personal opinions.

 

[Baby Doll]

Freja is a good ole soul that's the truth of it. But like all good ole souls on Siege who get heated up for a cause, sometimes we just need to step back and take a deep breath and have a Scarlett O'Hara moment.

 

[Righty]

Also, if you read the research it is not an "all or nothing" phenomenon. Statistically speaking though, ya online trolls are RL jerks. Plus, if you consider the sample that she probably used (college students, most likely 18,19 & 20 yr olds) it just adds validity to the research because they are the generation that grew up with a much higher rate of online interactions. Their frame of reference for what is appropriate and inappropriate for online and offline conversations is much different than my generation. I still remember my first real chance at being anonymous in a chat room on AOL when I was 14 years old....it was probably not very pretty because it was a completely novel situation and I had no schema for this situation. Nonetheless, there is starting to be a blending of online and offline personality traits (not talking about Role playing) that are subject to personal values, ethics, and morals. If you look at the increase in impulsiveness that we are experiencing as a society, it is not hard to draw this correlation. This research is not surprising to me in the least.

 

[Eärendil]

Good remark!

 

[Tanivar]

You may be right. Still I don't like the word jerk, I also tend to ask why do he/she act like that. Yes I know, I do give people way more line than most do

Jerk is a forum acceptable term. The terms I've thought after an old time pker got his jollies mouthing off at me after snuffing an unarmed unarmored miner holding a shovel and ranting and raving about how mighty and macho, etc, etc he was would have gotten me perma-banned from Stratics for the rest of eternity and then some.

 

[Eärendil]

Absolutely. And guessing is one thing and collecting data another. Great discussion so far! Just interesting. I need to get those papers.

 

[Razz]

Can you find any info on the correlation of being stubborn and irrational online with RL mental issues?

 

[Lord Frodo]

Correlation of being stubborn and irrational online with RL mental issues?

GOOGLE About 29,200 results stubborn and irrational online with RL mental issues - Google Search Enjoy reading

 

[DarkLotus[FL]]

here's another fun fact from research ---What’s more, kids find a sense of value and esteem in playing these games. Even the dorkiest kids can become virtual sports stars, rock stars, cool secret agents or Rambo-like warriors in these games. It’s one thing they can do better than their parents and maybe even their friends, so they relish it. And it’s one place — maybe the only place — where they feel totally in control.

 

[Eärendil]

Thats true, too

 

[Righty]

I would definitely think about hiring this woman, because her research begs a lot of interesting question. She could be producing relevant and interesting research for many years to come (and attracting graduate students).

 

[Eärendil]

The comission saw the potential, too! This research is not so much important for gaming but especially for behavior in social media. Think of the communicative, social and political consequences of ethically problematic behavior in online environments (eg with regard to voting)