Real Virtual Relationships

The JVWR, Volume 10, No. 2

Published: September 16, 2017


Issue editors:

Richard E. Ferdig, Kent State University, USA

Kristine E. Pytash, Kent State University, USA

Glenn W. Muschert, Miami University, USA.

We live in an era of digitally-mediated relationships. From finding a spouse online to daily interactions facilitated through social media, many people build and sustain both platonic and romantic relationships with technology. Virtual worlds are also spaces for these interactions. This special issue is dedicated to an exploration of such topics in a collection of articles exploring “real virtual relationships.”

Original Call: CfP: Relationships


Issue Editor Corner

The Recursive Relationship between Virtual and Real in Relationships

Richard E. Ferdig, Kristine E. Pytash, Glenn W. Muschert

Peer Reviewed Research Papers

Virtually Together: Examining Pre-Existing Relationships in MMOG Play

Kelly Bergstrom, Jennifer Jenson, Suzanne de Castell, Nicholas Taylor

De-Roling from Experiences and Identities in Virtual Worlds

Stefano Gualeni, Daniel Vella, Johnathan Harrington

Empathy with Non-Player Characters? An Empirical approach to the Foundations of Human/Non-Human Relationships

Jonathan Harth

Harsh Words and Deeds: Systematic Content Analyses of Offensive* User Behavior in the Virtual Environments of Online First-Person Shooter Games

Adrienne Holz Ivory, James D. Ivory, Winston Wu, Anthony M. Limperos, Nathaniel Andrew, Brandon S. Sesler

Not Playing the Game: Negative Opinions about Online Dating and Video Gaming among Non-Participants

Max Marc