Research shows that sexually drawn female characters in the game do not cause a sense of inferiority among women in the real world

by Art DiNo

Because female characters that appear in games are often drawn to nice buddy, some have argued, ' How are female characters that appear in games drawn as targets for sex? ' These people are worried that “depicting sexually-depressing female characters may have a considerable impact on the impression of women in the real world,” but the latest research results show “in-game results. 'S sexually drawn female character does not affect the self-assessment of the physical characteristics of women in the real world.

Examining the effects of exposure to a sexualized female video game protagonist on women's body image.-PsycNET
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fppm0000251

Study: Sexualization Of Women In Games Doesn't Impact Women's Body Image
https://kotaku.com/study-sexualization-of-women-in-games-doesnt-impact-wo-1836704647

According to the latest research by researchers at Stetson University and Fairy Dickinson University, it is impossible for women to have inferiority to their own body even if they play games with sexually drawn female characters It is clear that there is not.

Chris Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University and a co-author of the study, said that in recent years, more diverse games should be released and stronger It is often argued that there should be a game where female characters with less sexual attraction should also be present, in a world where individual claims can spread more [Because this claim is correct, we take action We have come to hear a lot of voices, but only those claims stand out, and it is not clear whether or not such harm is really happening. ' In other words, the research team has investigated 'Is the sexually drawn female character in the game having any influence on the real world in the first place?'

The main character of the Tomb Raider series, Lara Craft, is a representative of female characters that have been drawn sexually in the game.

History of Tomb Raider (1996-2018)-YouTube


Ferguson has been a long-time researcher on the subject of whether violent games affect player violence. This theme has attracted much attention as President Trump stated that 'I should regulate violent games and movies .' Research is continuing on the relationship between games and violence, but in January 2018, research results have been announced that there is no connection between 'playing games' and 'being violent,' Ferguson said. Even showing games against the claim that playing the game causes human violence.

Research announced that 'playing games' and 'being violent' are not related-GIGAZINE

Ferguson et al.'S research team thought that the same thing could be said about the claims of people who are critical of the female characters depicted sexually in the game. Mr Ferguson and his partner, Daniela Lindner, had a different view at the beginning. That's why Ferguson says that it was 'hostile collaborative research'.

In the study, approximately 100 women played one of two Tomb Raiders series. One of the games to be played is ' Tomb Raider Underworld ' released in 2008. In this work, the main character Lara Croft wears a wet suit with high body lines and exposed costumes. I am wrapped. The study cites “wear that is not appropriate for the task in which the character is assigned in the game” as an indicator of “design of a sexually emphasized female character”, and it is a work called Tomb Raider that carries out intense action In Tomb Raider Underworld, Lara Croft's character design is considered to be over-exposed and intentionally drawn sexually.

Tomb Raider Underworld PC Gameplay-Max Settings Ultra 4K-YouTube


Another game that the subjects played was the “ Tomb Raider ” released in 2013. In this work Lara Croft wears a tank top on cargo pants and is considerably less exposed than the Tomb Raider Underworld. Therefore, the research team judges that the female character (Lara Croft) is not drawn sexually.

Tomb Raider Japanese dubbed version Play video: Escape from the temple-YouTube


Subjects were asked to play either game, then they objectively perceived themselves as things rather than humans and objectively assessed their physical appearance. Analysis of the survey results showed that differences in the games played did not significantly affect the assessment of physical characteristics. About this result, in the research paper, 'The subjects correctly recognized that the main character in the sexually drawn video game is a fictional entity and not a message for the real-world female body' Is noted.

Living in a culture in which some women's physical forms (sexually stressed) are more beautiful than others, the idea that women's values come from their bodies, or which women do about themselves It greatly affects how much you feel positive. And it may be unpleasant for women that media reflecting such culture argue that only some women's body shapes (sexually emphasized body types) are beautiful as general values. However, Ferguson argues that 'must be skeptical' for anyone who claims to be causal, without sufficient evidence of how the game affects players.