Pluralistic Ignorance in Virtually Assembled Peers
The Case of World of Warcraft
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2409511 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Margaret De Larios (Occidental College), John T Lang (0000-0001-7532-9263, Occidental College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 102-121 |
| Publication date | 2014-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Games and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1555-4120 • E-ISSN: 1555-4139 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1555412013512894 |
| OpenAlex | W2098278586 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 16 |
This article presents a study of pluralistic ignorance situated within the virtual community of guilds in World of Warcraft (WoW). Pluralistic ignorance is a mistaken perception of social norms that overwhelms personal attitudes and leads to behavior contrary to an actor's attitude, and it has never been studied in the context of a virtual world. We analyze the presence of pluralistic ignorance in WoW guilds with the use of a sample of 195 players who responded to an Internet-based survey and 15 focus group participants. Findings show that pluralistic ignorance has a demonstrably lower presence in that community of WoW players than in a physical world equivalent, suggesting a higher tendency in that community toward consistency between private attitudes and public behavior. Factors uncovered that explain this difference include anonymity, safety of the Internet as social medium, and a hypersalience of identity in the WoW player community
Anonymity · Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Ignorance · Perception · Political science · Situated · Sociology · The Internet · Digital Games and Media · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology · Social Psychology
The social shaping of technology
Attitudes toward Racial Integration
Shared Fantasy
Pluralistic Ignorance and Inconsistency Between Private Attitudes and Public Behaviors
The Social Shaping of Technology
Alone together
Avoiding Politics
Virtual communities - exchanging ideas through computer bulletin boards
Community, Frame of Reference, and Boundary
Surveying Social Life
Pluralistic Ignorance among Assembled Peers
Communication, Coordination, and Camaraderie in World of Warcraft
From Tree House to Barracks
Culture in Interaction
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,75 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2025 (8) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |