This study explores the role of gender—treated as a construct that includes multiple potential identities—within interactions between media users and game characters in digital learning games. Using a museum-based science-learning game with scientist characters designed to serve as experimental stimuli, we examined how the relationship between character gender, player gender and player age influenced motivation in the game. Analyses suggest that the scientist characters’ masculinity or femininity influenced male and female players’ motivation differently, but that the specific manifestation of such influence appears to vary for different age groups. These results suggest that the characters in science-learning games could be designed to adapt to the players’ characteristics in order increase their science content learning or interest in STEM fields. More generally, this study highlights the importance of considering player characteristics in game design and the potential of adapting to such characteristics in order to maximize meaningful outcomes.
- 3 views