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
Recommended Citation
Yi, Jingjing, "Cultivation Effects of Female-Oriented Dating Sims: Players’ Parasocial Relationships, Gender Attitudes, and Romantic Beliefs in China" (2019). Theses - ALL. 365.
https://surface.syr.edu/thesis/365
