Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Committee Chair
Joshua Woods
Committee Co-Chair
Jesse Wozniak
Committee Member
Jesse Wozniak
Committee Member
James Nolan
Committee Member
Elizabeth Cohen
Abstract
Identity theorists have studied the complex relationship between gender and gaming for over two decades, but research on how women persist in gaming communities despite harassment remains underdeveloped. Grounded in Social Identity Theory, this dissertation examines the subreddit r/GirlGamers to evaluate the prevalence and impact of positive distinction strategies in countering identity threats. Based on a mixed-methods approach, the findings highlight three key strategies (group permeability, social creativity, and social competition) alongside themes of emotion, structural inequality, and interpersonal violence. Statistical tests indicate that posts employing at least one positive distinction strategy receive significantly more upvotes and comments than those that do not, even when controlling for other predictors. Results suggest that women use positive distinction strategies to mitigate identity threats, a practice encouraged within r/GirlGamers due to the ongoing culture of gendered hostility in gaming.
Recommended Citation
Green, Rachael, "Girl Gamers, Online Community, and Social Identity Theory: The Role of Positive Distinction Strategies on Group Engagement on r/GirlGamers" (2025). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12747.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12747