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Gamer psychology and behavior
Bostan B., Springer International Publishing, New York, NY, 2016. 153 pp. Type: Book (978-3-319299-03-7)
Date Reviewed: Sep 8 2016

This book, a collection of nine individual papers on gamer psychology, reads like the proceedings from a third-rate conference on the topic. There is no introduction to provide unifying themes, nor any conclusion to draw out any larger patterns. The editor of the book is also, coincidentally, the first author on four of the papers. Only four of the 15 contributors appear to be psychologists, which is significant as the title of the book as well as the content of the chapters suggest a strong psychological focus. Finally, the individual studies as reported in the individual chapters are both conceptually and methodologically weak with bloated bibliographies.

For example, the first study attempts to make a connection between violent video games and cognitive function. An assertion is made that there are a growing number of studies being done in this area, yet there is no supporting reference despite the fact that the bibliography has nearly 70 references in it. Similar unsubstantiated claims are made about the dominance of violent video games and increasing rates of video game addiction as additional motivation for the study.

Video game addiction is a key element of the study, as one of the three study groups was defined as video game addicts. But the basis for determining video game addiction was a modified definition of gambling addiction, which was not independently validated. Finally, a host of psychological tests were performed on the groups with no clear motivation for those studies, which made it appear like a fishing expedition. Some differences were found, but it is nearly impossible to determine what the results mean given the structural flaws in the study.

It is hard to say who might find this book useful. The bloated bibliographies do provide a lot of references. And one might try to replicate some of the studies after improving on their structural weaknesses. But beyond that, it is of limited value.

Reviewer:  J. M. Artz Review #: CR144740 (1612-0881)
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