Third-Person Perceptions and Online Games: A Comparison of Perceived Antisocial and Prosocial Game Effects

摘要

The popularity of online games has inspired controversial discussion on the effects ofngame-play in both mass media and academia. However, we know little about ordinarynpeople’s opinions about the effects of game-play. The current study applies the theory ofnthe third-person effect (TPE) to examine people’s perceptions of game effects on self andnon others, and detects significant third-person perceptual discrepancies. The results shownthat the magnitude of third-person perceptions is influenced by the social desirability ofnthe message, the social distance between self and others, and by differential exposure tononline games. The data supports the hypotheses that Internet efficacy and interdependentnself-construal are significant antecedents of third-person perceptions, and partially supportsnthe interaction effect of self-construal with Internet-efficacy and the interaction effect ofnself-construal with media social desirability.