Objective Technology-based coercive behavior (TBC) represents an emerging public health problem. This study contributes to the literature by identifying prospective individual-, social-, and community-level predictors of TBC. Method Data were collected from 800 males who participated in a prospective study on attitudes and behaviors regarding relationships with women. Variables across multiple ecological layers were used to predict TBC. Results Bivariate analyses indicated that 16 of the 17 risk variables significantly predicted TBC including anger, impulsivity, sexual compulsivity, hostility towards women, rape supportive beliefs, high-risk drinking, childhood sexual abuse, interparental conflict, peer pressure to engage in sex, peer approval of forced sex, number of sexual partners, perceived negative sanctions for sexual aggression, exposure to pornography, and participation in varsity sports, student government, and religious groups. Multivariate regression analyses indicated five variables uniquely accounted for TBC behaviors, including rape supportive beliefs, peer approval of forced sex, number of sexual partners, exposure to pornography, and participation in student government. Conclusions Our findings that TBC can be prospectively predicted by these risk factors suggest that computer-based technology interventions focusing on these factors through social network ads that promote reflection on healthy social and romantic relationship behaviors and attitudes could help prevent and reduce TBC.

Prior research indicates that gameplay experiences attributed to Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) foster foreign language students' ability to communicate with players in the target language. We take a closer look at the role of language socialization in MMORPGs, specifically dialogue between native and non-native speakers. We modify the Dialogue Acts Markup in Several Layers code scheme to represent in-game social interactions and apply this code scheme to players' game dialogue. We then develop ClockWerk©, an evaluation tool that visually depicts communication patterns of game dialogue attributed to MMORPGs. ClockWerk© graphically detects dominant behaviors of linguistically diverse groups of players over time. ClockWerk© enables users to temporally correlate the type of social interactions with gameplay activities, gauging their impact on second language acquisition.

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There has been a fairly large body of research surrounding decision making theory and ways in which choice framing and judgment are major contributing factors to decision outcome and future practice. The purpose of this study is to use abstract visual stimulus as an application for information organization and display, in order to aid in decision making practices. In this paper, we will introduce ConnectDots, a visualization tool that will allow users to be able to view this large data set of interaction information and more easily perceive the patterns of interaction therein. With this information, a person can also become more aware of their current decision making practices for their social network, and observe how their relationships are affected.

Successful integration of traditional learning objectives with elements of entertainment becomes the goal for the design and application of video games used for educational purposes. Oftentimes assumptions are made that students who are not gamers can play video games and reap the pedagogical benefits of gameplay without experiencing a learning curve relative to understanding game objectives. We argue that inexperienced players encounter two different trajectories of learning: the cognitive process associated with understanding how to play the game and the cognitive processes embedded in gameplay activities that correspond to domain specific learning goals. These dissimilar trajectories of learning create competing goals for the player who portrays dual roles of student and novice gamer. We examine this dilemma in the context of second language students who play a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games for the purpose of improving their English proficiency skills. We utilize statistical analysis to evaluate English as Second Language (ESL) students' ability to acquire second language vocabulary. Results indicate positive learning outcomes for vocabulary acquisition of ESL students who participate in collaborative gameplay with Native English Speakers, emphasizing the role of social interactions in second language acquisition. However, visual analysis of game logs measures the learning trajectory associated with completing game tasks and reveals that ESL students who play EQ2 independently achieve increasing levels of virtual character progression in less time than their peers.I.