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GENDER DIFFERENCES IN FIRST PERSON GAMERS**

Abstract

In 2024, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reported that 53% of gamers identified as male and 46% identified as female. Despite this near-even gender distribution, much of the existing literature on personality characteristics and gaming preferences remains primarily focused on male gamers. A literature analysis conducted by Lopez-Fernando et al. (2019) found that research on female gamers tends to cluster around a limited set of themes, including portrayals of women in games, explanations for reduced gaming participation relative to male gamers, and examinations of gaming-related addiction. To address the gap in empirical research on personality traits and gaming preferences among female gamers, the present study employed quantitative methods to examine how gender impacted preferred game genre, specifically first-person shooter games, role-playing games, and casual gaming. Initial survey data were collected in classroom settings at medium sized public university in the southeastern United States. The current sample consisted of 32 participants (24 women, 8 men). Gender differences in preference for shooter, casual, and role-playing games were examined using independent-samples t tests. Results indicated that men were significantly more likely than women to prefer shooter games, t(30) = 6.45, p < .001. Alternatively, women were significantly more likely than men to prefer casual games, t(23) = −4.41, p < .001, and role-playing games, t(23) = −1.81, p = .041. These findings contribute to a more balanced understanding of gaming preferences across genders and highlight the importance of including female gamers in empirical research.

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