Date of Award

June 2019

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Media Studies

Advisor(s)

Carol Liebler

Keywords

cultivation theory, dating sims, gender attitudes, parasocial relationship, romantic beliefs

Subject Categories

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

This study tests cultivation effects of female-oriented dating simulation games on players’ gender attitudes and romantic beliefs. Additionally, the study investigates mediating effects of parasocial relationship, and conditional effects of relationship status. A survey in China with a sample size of 284 participants is utilized to test the hypotheses. This study found that game exposure relates to both parasocial relationships with game avatars and targeted characters. Game exposure also positively relates to equal gender attitudes and romantic beliefs. In addition, there are strong relationships between parasocial relationships and romantic beliefs.

Access

Open Access

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