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Leadership behaviors among gamers and student leaders
Author
Ho, Wei Tshen
Supervisor
Khoo, Angeline
Abstract
In recent years, video gaming has gained popularity and become an increasingly social phenomenon. This has implications for learning of socially relevant skills in video game environments. This study attempted to explore the relationship between leadership in video games and in real life. The effects of motivation of play, prosocial orientation, and the social context of play on leadership behavior were also investigated.
A Game Leadership Behavior questionnaire - based on the Sloane leadership model - was constructed during an earlier pilot study to measure game leadership. Other measures included the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire - Form XII Self-Report (LBDQ-XII), the Motivation of Play questionnaire, Prosocial Orientation Questionnaire (POQ), and questions identifying the type of game play participants were involved in (i.e. whether non-player, or mainly in single player, or in multiplayer "Co-op" or "MMORPG" modes).
A survey comprising of the above measurements was administered to 121 secondary school boys and 200 junior college students in their schools. All participants held leadership positions in school.
Findings showed that game leadership behavior was positively correlated with real life leadership and emerged as a predictor of real life leadership, together with prosocial behavior and social game motivation. Task-oriented and relationship-oriented play motivation was positively correlated with task-oriented and relationship-oriented game leadership respectively. Play type had no effect on game or real life leadership. Rather, social play motivation was positively correlated with all three variables and also emerged as a predictor of real life leadership.
Results suggested a possible transfer between game leadership and real life leadership, which did not seem to be associated with prosocial tendency, or whether game play occurred in a social or non-social context. Instead, play motivation seemed to play an important role in determining game leadership experience and its influence on real life leadership.
A Game Leadership Behavior questionnaire - based on the Sloane leadership model - was constructed during an earlier pilot study to measure game leadership. Other measures included the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire - Form XII Self-Report (LBDQ-XII), the Motivation of Play questionnaire, Prosocial Orientation Questionnaire (POQ), and questions identifying the type of game play participants were involved in (i.e. whether non-player, or mainly in single player, or in multiplayer "Co-op" or "MMORPG" modes).
A survey comprising of the above measurements was administered to 121 secondary school boys and 200 junior college students in their schools. All participants held leadership positions in school.
Findings showed that game leadership behavior was positively correlated with real life leadership and emerged as a predictor of real life leadership, together with prosocial behavior and social game motivation. Task-oriented and relationship-oriented play motivation was positively correlated with task-oriented and relationship-oriented game leadership respectively. Play type had no effect on game or real life leadership. Rather, social play motivation was positively correlated with all three variables and also emerged as a predictor of real life leadership.
Results suggested a possible transfer between game leadership and real life leadership, which did not seem to be associated with prosocial tendency, or whether game play occurred in a social or non-social context. Instead, play motivation seemed to play an important role in determining game leadership experience and its influence on real life leadership.
Date Issued
2009
Call Number
HM1261 Ho
Date Submitted
2009