ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022
To Be or Not to Be a Female Gamer: A Qualitative Exploration of Female Gamer Identity.
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 74 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring Gender Differences in Gaming Among Italian University Students: A Discriminant Analysis.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A qualitative exploration of women's experiences, stigma, and access to care in gaming disorder.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026Article
- Gaming disorder: Prevalence and association with psychosocial outcomes in the German general adult population.Addictive behaviors reports · 2026Article
- A Metasynthesis on Perceptions of Sexism Among Video Game Players and the Video Game Industry.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Women expert gamers: portrait of an understudied population.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Navigating identity in digital spaces: An exploratory study of social engagement and interactions.Social sciences & humanities open · 2025Article
- "It's a good distraction from the mayhem of reality": a reflexive thematic analysis on the role of video games to support coping during a crisis.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
- Influence of Gender, Parental Control, Academic Performance and Physical Activity Level on the Characteristics of Video Game Use and Associated Psychosocial Problems in Adolescents.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Prevalence and Characteristics of Female and Male Esports Players among Norwegian Youth: A General Population Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Gender Differences in the Longitudinal Linkages between Fear of COVID-19 and Internet Game Addiction: A Moderated Multiple Mediation Model.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Gender differences in internet gaming among university students: a discriminant analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- The Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Gaming Instinctual Motivation Scale.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2023Article
- The Role of Self-Control Dimensions, Game Motivation, Game Genre, and Game Platforms in Gaming Disorder: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Findings.Psychology research and behavior management · 2023Article
- Gaming among female adolescents: profiling and psychopathological characteristics in the Indian context.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Psychometric Assessment and Gender Invariance of the Polish Version of the Gaming Disorder Test.International journal of mental health and addiction · 2022Article
- The Relationship between Depressive Symptoms, Loneliness, Self-Control, and Gaming Disorder among Polish Male and Female Gamers: The Indirect Effects of Gaming Motives.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The literature on online gaming has generally focused on male gamers and has been dominated by negative aspects of gaming. The present study addresses the gender gap in this field by exploring experiences of female gamers further by unravelling several positive experiences alongside some potentially harmful tendencies connected to gaming, including female gamers' wishes and ambitions for their future gaming. A total of 20 female adult gamers across Europe were interviewed and results were analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: (i) to be or not to be a (female) gamer; (ii) improving social skills and levelling up on mental health; (iii) not always a healthy escape; and (iv) there is more to explore. The present study is one of few empirical studies regarding the construction of self-image, and experiences of female gamers. It has showed participants have a history as gamers from adolescence, but still face problems derived from the stigmatised internal gender self-image. Externally, female gamer stigmatisation may result in sexism, gender violence, harassment, and objectification. Additionally, females may decide against identifying as gamers, engaging in social gaming interaction, or hold back from online gaming in general, thereby missing out on the opportunities for recreation as well as social and psychological benefits that gaming brings. There is, therefore, urgent need for more research and actions to promote change, equity, education, and security for female gamers as well as their male counterparts. Game developers would benefit from understanding this large gamer demographic better and tailoring games for women specifically.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.