Early adolescent gender and multiple intelligences profiles as predictors of digital gameplay preferences

Abstract

© 2017, FACTEACHEREDUCATION. All rights reserved. The paper explores the relations among early adolescents’ digital gaming preferences and habits and their gender and multiple intelligences profiles. The study was conducted in 2015 with an empirical sample of 1,262 students aged 11 to 15. A vast majority of these students (86.9%) played digital games regularly. Early adolescent females spent on average 8.7 h per week playing digital games, while males spent an average of about 17.7 h per week playing digital games. Students with higher scores in Interpersonal intelligence section spent more time playing digital games, while those with higher scores in Visual/spatial and Natural intelligences section played less. Most of the students (41.6%) played digital games longer than five years. Early adolescent males favored Arcade and Sports games, while females preferred Logic, Online and Adventure game genres. Arcade (Action/Shooter/Platform) and Adventure games were preferably played by students with higher scores in Logical/ mathematical intelligence, and Sports (Fighting) games were preferably played by students with higher scores in Bodily/kinesthetic intelligence. Strategy games were a preferred genre for students with lower scores in Musical/rhythmic intelligences. These findings support the notion that individual psychological characteristics lead to media selection and behavioral patterns construction. Vice versa, playing the preferred game genre will probably further motivate players to enhance the specific set of skills, strategies and habits.