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Article
Ethical Perceptions and Actions in Gaming
International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science
  • Christina Frederick, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Jason P. Kring, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Shawn Doherty, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Dahai Liu, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Christopher M. Via, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Michelle Sinagra, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Submitting Campus
Daytona Beach
Department
School of Graduate Studies
Document Type
Article
Publication/Presentation Date
3-1-2015
Abstract/Description

The present study explored how individuals perceive actions in gaming that contain ethical components, whether they have ever engaged in those behaviors and how judgments of ethical actions in gaming relate to participant personality. Participants completed a 16-item survey, which measured their perception of the ethics of gaming behaviors, such as buying a hack or lying to another player. Participants were also asked to indicate for each item whether or not they had ever engaged in that behavior. Results indicated that participants were able to judge the ethical level of different gaming behaviors with lying to other players and unauthorized access to servers being rated as most unethical. Furthermore, self-reports of engagement in unethical activities were fairly low. When ethical rating and action scores were correlated with personality characteristics using the Cattell 16PF1, the only correlation to reach significance showed that participants higher in rule consciousness rated the ethical gaming questions as more unethical overall than their less rule-conscious peers. Given the extent and popularity of gaming in today’s world, it is important to understand how individuals perceive the gaming culture. One aspect of this culture that merits further examination is ethical behavior in gaming.

Publisher
Center for Enhancing Knowledge
Citation Information
Christina Frederick, Jason P. Kring, Shawn Doherty, Dahai Liu, et al.. "Ethical Perceptions and Actions in Gaming" International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science Vol. 3 Iss. 3 (2015) p. 49 - 58
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christina_m_frederick/15/