Riots and Public Opinion: A Methodological Experiment

• In Event: 474 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 15. Theory-Building for Social Movement Studies

Abstract

While there has been a slow, but steady increase in sociological interest around video games, because of the paucity of research, many facets of game studies fall through the cracks. One such aspect is using games as methodological tools to study social phenomena. Games are, at their heart, simulations and a common problem within simulation research is the question of how closely a simulation can model real world human interactions. This study examines the external validity of using games as a methodology for the social sciences, in particular for social behavior that cannot be easily observed and must be self-reported. The researcher used the game Simcity 4, a popular game used in teaching, to simulate riots. The participants were instructed to play the game, and end the riots. Afterword’s the participants took a survey, asking how they think that riots should be handled in cities. The relationship between their responses in the game and their responses in the survey were examined. The study also discusses the restrictions and benefits of using games in this way

Author

• Morgan Clark, Northwestern University