Toxic behaviours of Latin American LoL videogamers

Abstract

LoL videogamers sometimes manifest in-game behaviors that deviate from social norms and the rules of the game. However, there are few studies based on psychological science that study these behaviors. The aim of this research was to analyze toxic behaviors, specifically consisting of aggressive communication, in LoL video gamers according to their profile and country of origin, as well as to predict the likelihood of being a victim or perpetrator of toxic behavior. The sample consisted of 4776 participants from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru. They were administered the socio-demographic and toxicity questionnaire and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). The results indicate that the majority of LoL gamers are male. However, Chile has the highest percentage of female players. They prefer ranked mode, gold league and role supp. 93.2% of the sample perceives the LoL community as toxic, and insults are the most prevalent form of toxic behavior. Those who experience toxic behaviors most often while playing are women with high IGD scores, while the perpetrators tend to be men aged 18 to 19, gold league, mid role and with high IGD scores. It is hoped that the results will contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon in order to improve well-being in the gaming experience.