Study: Racism Exists in Virtual Worlds

20
Confirming what online gamers who use voice chat already know, a study at Northwestern University concluded that racial bias affects interactions in online worlds.

Paul W. Eastwick, a graduate student at the University, conducted the study by going into the virtual world There and making requests of strangers. There was no evidence of racial bias in small favors. But when asking very large favors afterwards, Eastwick found that white avatars were more likely to be obliged than black avatars.

The results resemble those of similar studies done in the real world. "This study suggests that interactions among strangers within the virtual world are very similar to interactions between strangers in the real world," Eastwick told iTnews.

Filed Under
From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 11, 2008 3:03 PM

    I wouldn't even going to touch these comments with a 10 foot pole.

Hello, Meet Lola