Poster #239 - “I Just Want to Save Princess Peach!”: Sibling Interactions and Performance During Videogame Play

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Technology, Media & Child Development

Integrative Statement

Social play, or play with others (e.g. parents, peers, siblings), begins around age two and continues throughout the lifespan (White, 2006). Since siblings are many children’s earliest play partners (Howe, Abuhatoum, & Chang-Kredl, 2014), much of the literature on social play has examined how children engage in play with siblings, including pretend play and problem solving tasks (Karos, Howe, & Aquan-Asee, 2007; Dubrow & Howe, 1999). During sibling play, children develop creativity, language, and problem solving skills (Howe, Rinaldi, Jennings, & Petrakos, 2005). Notably, the types of interactions siblings use during play and problem solving tasks is linked to their success on these tasks (Howe et al., 2014; Howe et al. 2005).
Notably absent in the research on siblings’ co-play are studies examining sibling interaction during video game play despite siblings’ frequent engagement in this form of play. For example, Coyne, Jensen, Smith, and Erikson (2016) found, within their survey of 508 adolescents with siblings, that over half reported playing video games with their siblings. However, how sibling interactions influence children’s success at videogames remains unanswered. Therefore, we examined four sibling dyads’ comments, as an indication of these interactions, as each sibling took turns playing a videogame. Older siblings included one girl and three boys between ages 10-13; younger siblings included three girls and one boy between ages eight to 11. The age gap between siblings ranged two to three years (M = 2.25 years).
Each child took a turn playing New Super Mario Bros. U for 15 minutes as their sibling observed. Siblings’ conversational turns were coded for type of comments made (e.g. performance evaluations regarding how well a sibling or self was playing) and examined in relation to game performance (i.e. number of lives lost, levels started, levels completed, and games started). Though sibling interactions were unrelated to game performance, performance evaluation comments were used more frequently when children performed poorly. No significant differences in game performance between older and younger siblings were found, although older siblings lost fewer lives than younger siblings. Verbal protocol analysis revealed that children used observers of game play focused on game performance (i.e. lives left in gameplay, game clock time left); players focused on in-game tasks (i.e. strategies, obstacles).
Overall, game oriented comments (reference to game controls, characters, features, and rules) were most frequently cited. Younger siblings tended to pose game oriented comments to older siblings about how to navigate an impasse (e.g. “How do you do that… the high jumps?”); older siblings made game oriented comments about game controls (e.g. “Oh, you press Y”). Expressions of affect, the second most frequently cited comments, also were distinguished among players and observers. Players most frequently expressed frustration (“Ugh!), and observers most frequently expressed laughter, usually to tease their sibling. Findings suggested that sibling videogame play is a potent context in which children may informally practice language (i.e. asking questions, communicating ideas), problem solving (e.g. navigating impasse or obstacles), and socioemotional (i.e. self-awareness, empathy) skills.

Authors

• Kristen Kohm, Fordham University
  Presenting Author

• Fran Blumberg, Fordham University
  Non-Presenting Author