'Turning up to the party uninvited'. Exploring the experiences of female gamers'

Bentham, Kate (2016) 'Turning up to the party uninvited'. Exploring the experiences of female gamers'. Manchester Metropolitan University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

"Following on from previous research that has highlighted the difficulties females face whilst playing video games (McLean and Griffiths, 2013), this research aims to explore female gaming experiences, with emphasis placed on societal influences and the visible community. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using five female participants to explore their experiences in the gaming community. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and three themes emerged; perceived weakness, overemphasis on gender and feeling unwelcome in the gaming community. The findings suggest that sexist stereotypes surrounding video gaming are internalised by females and have a negative effect on their motivation to play and ability to progress to a higher level. Implications of the research include better policing of online environments and the introduction of initiatives, similar to STEM programmes, to encourage females to play video games and welcome them to progress to up a professional level."