Measuring Microaggressions: Are There Differences in Online and Offline Experiences?

Abstract

The video game industry has grown to be a significant part of people’s lives. This study investigates the experiences of microaggressions in online video game communities. A sample of 186 university students were surveyed about their personal experiences of microaggressions and video game use. Participants were asked to rate vignettes of microaggressions on how acceptable they found them. Results suggest the microaggression scenarios depicted in the vignettes are not considered acceptable and that there are differences in microaggression experiences across demographics. There is a discussion about the implications of what the findings mean regarding online video game use and microaggressions.