Video Games as a Multifaceted Medium: A Review of Quantitative Social Science Research on Video Games and a Typology of Video Game Research Approaches

• Much quantitative social science research has explored video games’ social impact using widely varied methods and approaches. • As light is sometimes studied as a wave and sometimes as a particle, video game research has used many perspectives. • It is difficult to compare some game research because studies often examine one social dimension of games while ignoring others. • Researchers exploring different video game dimensions are sometimes like the Indian parable of the blind men and the elephant. • A typology of social science research approaches to video games will aid comparison, synthesis, and expansion of research. • This review of video game research approaches identifies four distinct perspectives used in much video game research. • The “video games as stimulus” perspective includes research focused on effects of game content and features on users. • The “video games as avocation” perspective includes research focused on users of video games and their commitment to the medium. • The “video games as skill” perspective includes research focused on video games as a tool for developing skills and abilities. • The “video games as social environment” perspective includes research focused on social interaction between game users.