Video Game Research and the GRAD Framework

 

In the context of scientific study, video game research is a new subject of interest. And, like all new scientific inquiry, researchers must determine a valid and reliable way of producing new knowledge within the relevant subject. Many early video game studies vary on relevant operational definitions and methodology, which has produced results that are inconsistent. The creation of the Gamer Response and Decision (GRAD) Framework is a response to the lack of consistent ways to study within the realm of video games.

GRAD Framework and Purpose

According to Gillern (2016), the purpose of the GRAD framework is to understand the decision-making processes and interactive experiences that individual gamers have. The successful use of the GRAD framework in future research studies provides researchers with a tool that may create a higher level of consistency and validity.

GRAD Theoretical Foundations

Reader Response Theory

Rosenblatt’s reader response theory posits that each individual has a unique interaction with written text. This is because every person draws from a specific set of experiences, beliefs, values, and engagement that is their own. Gillern (2016) believes that this theory can be translated to the world of video games as well as reading, meaning that gamers have diverse experiences with game content.

Theory of Affordances

Gibson created the theory of affordances to explain the act of an individual seeking out things within their environment that may be used for a certain purpose (which are called affordances), as well as the decisions they make based on the observed affordances and their main goals and abilities. Gillern (2016) uses the foundation of this theory to describe the way gamers analyze the video game environment in an effort to determine the best course of action to take to complete their goals.

GRAD Framework 

Decisions

A player’s decisions during gameplay are affected by an individual’s “experiences, knowledge, skills, agency, self-efficacy, and goals” (Gillern, 2016, p. 670). These aspects, and a person’s in-game decisions, create a unique interactive experience, as well as the specific meaning a gamer takes away from the game.

Gamer Profile

The profile of a video game player is constructed using their diverse “experiences, knowledge, skills, goals, agency, and self-efficacy” (Gillern, 2016, p. 672). Because each gamer differs regarding these elements, this affects the disadvantages and affordances they experience when playing a game.

Game Features and Design

Video game developers spend a large amount of time trying to create a specific interactive experience for their audience. Game features and design include “game rules, system, and mechanics; story and dramatic elements; opportunities for personalization; and opportunities for socialization” (Gillern, 2016, p. 674). Therefore, a game’s design and features determine they ways in which players can interact with the games format.

Environmental Context

Each individual is affected by the environment that surrounds them, and that environment also affects the way they play a video game. Environmental context may include elements such as social beliefs, political ideas, cultural norms, etc., which differ for video game players around the world.

Research using GRAD Framework

Because the GRAD framework is a new theoretical concept, there haven’t been many studies that use it to analyze those within the gaming community. However, Manero, Torrente, Freire, and Fernandez-Manjon (2016) took the opportunity to use this new framework to conduct a study that strived to cluster video game players according to their personal game preferences and habits. Researchers also sought to validate the use of the GRAD framework within the arena of scientific study.

Study Description

Manero et. al used the framework to assign gamers to one of four categories:

• Well-rounded gamers (those who play a diverse number of games at a high frequency)

• Hardcore gamers (those who mostly play first-person shooters and sports games)

• Casual gamers (those who play social, musical, and thinking games in a moderate manner)

• Non-gamers (those that do not usually play games of any kind)

The study included a sample of 754 high school students from eight different schools located in Spain. They were assessed using a 7-point Likert scale questionnaire that was designed to measure both gaming preferences and gaming frequency.

Study Results

Results of the study showed that participants were successfully clustered into the four categories described above. The differentiation between four clusters provided more successful results than the differentiation between three or five clusters. Well-rounded gamers accounted for 172 participants, while there were 226 hardcore gamers, 199 casual gamers, and 157 non-gamers. Gender distribution showed that female participants made up the majority of the casual and non-gamer population and male participants made up the majority of hardcore and well-rounded gamers.  

Implications

Previous research studies suggest that an individual’s video game preferences are influenced by personality traits. Therefore, future research using the GRAD framework may provide insight into why gamers prefer specific games and why they play as often as they do. This may further psychological and medical research regarding video game addiction, and may further affect the way game developers create gaming concepts and market them to the public.