How do the effects of toxicity in competitive online video games vary by source and match outcome?

Area of Science:

• Psychology of video games
• Human-computer interaction
• Behavioral economics

Background:

• Online gaming communities foster complex social dynamics.
• Toxicity in gaming is a prevalent issue impacting player experience.
• Understanding the causal effects of toxicity is crucial for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the causal effects of toxicity in competitive online video games.
• To analyze how toxicity variations depend on source and match outcome.
• To investigate the impact of toxicity on player engagement and subsequent behavior.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of proprietary data from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III.
• Implementation of an instrumental variable estimation strategy to address causal identification.
• Statistical analysis of player engagement and behavioral data.

Main Results:

• Exposure to toxicity causally affects short-term player engagement.
• Toxicity increases the probability of players engaging in similar behavior within the same match.
• The impact of toxicity varies significantly based on its source (opponents vs. teammates) and the match outcome.

Conclusions:

• Toxicity has demonstrable causal effects on player behavior and engagement in online games.
• The source of toxicity and match context are critical moderators of its impact.
• Findings inform strategies for resource allocation in combating online gaming toxicity.