Invitation to participate in research on game avatars and gender expression ...
Greetings!
I'm new to the forum, so please do let me know if this type of post isn't welcome here ... I couldn't find anything in the guidelines suggesting it might be a problem, but I'm of course happy to take it down if it's preferred. :)
I'm a professor/researcher at West Virginia University, and most of my research focuses on videogames, avatars, and identity. I’m currently conducting an study about gender expression through videogame/virtual world avatars. I am posting to invite you all to participate in this research by taking an online survey. Nothing nefarious here … in addition to my research on games and avatars, I’m a gamer myself (primarily World of Warcraft), and I have a vested interest in scientifically understanding how various kinds of people experience various online spaces.
In particular, I'm interested in the ways that gender is socially constructed in and expressed through games. My colleague suggested that this is a community that might be interested in participating in this kind of research. This study, in particular, includes questions related to your own gender identity and gender expression, and how a particular game avatar of yours may or may not represent your gender. Although I am particularly interested in hearing from individuals who do not identify with 'traditional' binary gender categories (i.e., those who don’t identify as exclusively male or exclusively female), I would love to hear from people of any gender identity.
If you decide to take part, you will be asked to answer some questions about yourself and the avatar you feel best represents you, and to upload an image (screen capture) of that avatar. The survey is rather long – taking from 30 to 45 minutes to complete – and contains a large number of open-ended questions requesting typed-out answers. This study has been acknowledged by the WVU research ethics board, and adheres to federal standards for protecting research participant rights and privacy.
In order to participate, you must be: a) 18 years of age or older, and b) an active participant in an online game or virtual world that includes customizable avatars.
With my thanks for your time, everyone who completes the survey will have the option to enter a random drawing for a $150 Amazon gift card. Please note that you will be asked to enter your email address in order to enter the drawing, so you can be notified if you’re the winner. The odds of winning the game time depend on the number of participants.
If you wish to participate in this study, please use the following link to be automatically redirected to the survey:
http://wvu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_b11CuEpAq8jGz2t
If you have any questions about study, you're very welcome to send me a message or email me at the address below. I'll also try to respond as quickly as possible to any general questions/concerns in this thread.
Thanks! :) ~Jaime
jabanksmail.wvu.edu // http://comm.wvu.edu/fs/faculty/jbanks // https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=e2LNDdIAAAAJ&hl=en
I'm new to the forum, so please do let me know if this type of post isn't welcome here ... I couldn't find anything in the guidelines suggesting it might be a problem, but I'm of course happy to take it down if it's preferred. :)
I'm a professor/researcher at West Virginia University, and most of my research focuses on videogames, avatars, and identity. I’m currently conducting an study about gender expression through videogame/virtual world avatars. I am posting to invite you all to participate in this research by taking an online survey. Nothing nefarious here … in addition to my research on games and avatars, I’m a gamer myself (primarily World of Warcraft), and I have a vested interest in scientifically understanding how various kinds of people experience various online spaces.
In particular, I'm interested in the ways that gender is socially constructed in and expressed through games. My colleague suggested that this is a community that might be interested in participating in this kind of research. This study, in particular, includes questions related to your own gender identity and gender expression, and how a particular game avatar of yours may or may not represent your gender. Although I am particularly interested in hearing from individuals who do not identify with 'traditional' binary gender categories (i.e., those who don’t identify as exclusively male or exclusively female), I would love to hear from people of any gender identity.
If you decide to take part, you will be asked to answer some questions about yourself and the avatar you feel best represents you, and to upload an image (screen capture) of that avatar. The survey is rather long – taking from 30 to 45 minutes to complete – and contains a large number of open-ended questions requesting typed-out answers. This study has been acknowledged by the WVU research ethics board, and adheres to federal standards for protecting research participant rights and privacy.
In order to participate, you must be: a) 18 years of age or older, and b) an active participant in an online game or virtual world that includes customizable avatars.
With my thanks for your time, everyone who completes the survey will have the option to enter a random drawing for a $150 Amazon gift card. Please note that you will be asked to enter your email address in order to enter the drawing, so you can be notified if you’re the winner. The odds of winning the game time depend on the number of participants.
If you wish to participate in this study, please use the following link to be automatically redirected to the survey:
http://wvu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_b11CuEpAq8jGz2t
If you have any questions about study, you're very welcome to send me a message or email me at the address below. I'll also try to respond as quickly as possible to any general questions/concerns in this thread.
Thanks! :) ~Jaime
jabanksmail.wvu.edu // http://comm.wvu.edu/fs/faculty/jbanks // https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=e2LNDdIAAAAJ&hl=en
