Psychological analysis of primary school pupils self-description in a computer game
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14739/2310-1210.2017.3.100836Keywords:
psychological test, dependency, computer games, qualitative research, primary school age, child health, consciousnessAbstract
Objective. The aim of this study was to reveal of the specific impact of computer games on the children`s consciousness in primary school.
Materials and Methods. 30 children aged from 6 to 11 years were examined. The qualitative research methods of descriptions the children`s computer games experience according to the main stages of structured phenomenological research have been used. The questionnaire for children`s self- description in a computer game has been developed and qualitative analysis of these descriptions has been conducted.
Results. While analyzing the descriptions the difficulty of “true”/“false” separating, the use of personal pronouns of the language, the absence of the proper distinction between "Self" as a game character and "Self" of the child on the whole, attributing the properties of living creatures to virtual "opponents" or "partners" and the confusion of time and spatial terms use while describing the game by the children have been revealed. Only the outer game plan, such as plot, "event", "action", the difficulties occurring in the game have been described by the children, but there have not been any reflected emotions at all. While describing the "events" occurring in the game, the children were not able to focus on themselves either then or during the game.
Conclusions. The involvement of a child into the computer game causes, first of all, the disorder of emotional sphere functioning, when the emotions are not understood by the child. The discrepancies while describing by the children themselves, their nature and the trends of their favourite games have been exposed, indicating that there have been the disorders in the child`s self-attitude and self-esteem forming. While playing the computer game a special "operation mode" of the child's mind emerges when the impact of the irreal image on the child`s mind can distort the natural flow of cognitive and emotional reflection of reality forming.
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