Study Shows That Gamers Love Strong and Sexy Female Characters

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from the pixelated days of Super Mario to the immersive worlds of Red Dead Redemption. The study conducted by Teresa Lynch and her team at Ohio State University has piqued my interest, as it delves into an area often overlooked in gaming: the portrayal of female characters.

Teresa Lynch, a professor at Ohio State University, has carried out and shared findings from a research project investigating how aspects of sexualization and power influence our perception of female video game characters. In this two-part study, 677 participants were engaged, with the research team creating a collection of female characters and asking users to observe and play as them for a specified duration.

These female characters were designed using four main themes, each emphasizing different degrees of sensuality and power: consider, for example, a character portrayed as highly sensual yet weak in comparison to one who is less sensual but incredibly powerful.

The results of the study were intriguing.

The Mommy Theory

Reflect on the fans captivated by Alcina Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village, despite her enormous stature and intimidating aura, and that’s essentially what this study conducted by the Ohio State University has concluded.

Teresa Lynch’s team designed four characters for Soulcalibur VI, emphasizing aspects such as their bust size, body proportions, wardrobe, weaponry, and musculature. Each character was crafted with a specific role in mind. As for the motivation behind this study, Lynch explained:

Comprehending the role that societal expectations regarding gender and biases such as sexism play in shaping video game creation and user interaction is crucial.
Sexism pervades gaming. For example, game content overwhelmingly features male characters to the exclusion of central female or gender minoritised characters. Games that do feature female or gender minoritised characters often unfavorably stereotype and objectify these groups.
I want to know more about why, when, and how these kinds of outcomes happen.

As a passionate enthusiast, I was part of an intriguing exploration involving four fictional characters. We initiated this investigation in two distinct phases. Initially, we presented these characters to 239 students, asking them to rate their preferences based solely on appearance. In line with our anticipations, the students accurately evaluated the characters according to their level of sexualization. Interestingly, they also perceived the ‘tougher-looking’ characters as more intimidating.

Simple.

In the study, it was discovered that the majority of participants, who were predominantly women, found a character with both high sexualization and high strength to be more sexually objectified compared to characters solely designed for visual appeal. The research suggested that having strength did not diminish the sexualization of female characters, but rather heightened their perceived attractiveness instead.

The research additionally found that female subjects tended to be more inclined towards characters who had both an attractive appearance and physical strength, rather than those solely focused on sexualization.

Mommy? Sorry.

Part Two

In the second phase of the research (initially reported by PsyPost), I found myself among 438 gaming peers, each given a 10-minute playthrough with one of the four characters in Soulcalibur VI.

The contestants mentioned that portraying a powerful female protagonist made them identify less with traditional femininity and feel like their character was more capable. Interestingly, among the genders, female participants were drawn to sexually charged characters, while male participants tended to favor strong yet less sexualized characters.

One of the most damning findings from the study was that while females bagged on sexy female characters, they were more likely to prefer playing as them when it came down to the live test session.

In a parting statement, Lynch said:

Additionally, we’re keen to delve into the beneficial effects of female characters in gaming, not just their potential downsides or negative aspects. Players engage with video games due to enjoyment and entertaining experiences, but also because they offer significant and meaningful interactions. We’re investigating this aspect because it contributes to the larger question at hand.

Which type of female character do you prefer more: those with a focus on sexualization, such as the ones in Stellar Blade’s Project Eve, or stronger and imposing characters like Abby from The Last of Us Part II?

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