Psychological characteristics of the game process in computer simulation game «The Sims 3»

   This article examines possibilities of psychological using of computer simulation game «The Sims 3». In Introduction it is noted that the game provides freedom and variability of player's game strategies choice.

   The novelty of the research lies in summarizing of existing researches and systematizing psychological aspects of the game process in Russian.

   In Theoretical justification the author indicates that the game's system of skill development, including everyday life skills and professional skills, may provide a methodological material for understanding mechanisms of studying. A safe and variable virtual environment may help one to develop social skills and reduce emotional tension of certain actions, for example, public speaking. «The Sims 3» may also help to learn foreign languages. The game provides an opportunity to simulate situations from a player's life, to recreate past and modulate future. It also may help to safety get rid of negative emotions. The possibility to control everything in the game may help one to cope with anxiety. It may be useful for emotional self-regulation. In addition, playing computer game is a way of escapism. Virtual reality of the game allows to analyze game strategies based on psychological features, factor of limited and unlimited time of life, and factor of reduced social and moral control. The Discussion of the results is based on researches that observe manifestation of psychological traits and model different situations in «The Sims 3» game. The Conclusion refers to wide possibilities of empirical researches with the help of «The Sims 3».

1. Baeva, L. (2014). Axiological portrait of computer games admirers. Informational Society, 2, 27–34. (in Russ.).

2. Belov, V. (2017). The reasons, functions and scopes of escapism. Innovative science, 3(1), 270–276. (in Russ.).

3. Belyaeva, U. (2020). Cultural-anthropological phenomenology of video games (doctoral dissertation). Belgorod. (in Russ.).

4. Iversen, S. (2014). Playing with Sims as a Space of One's Own. Feminist Media Studies, 14(5), 727–742. doi: 10.1080/14680777.2013.816332

5. Kerr, S., Neale, H., Cobb, S. (2002). Virtual environments for social skills training: the importance of scaffolding in practice. Proceedings of the fifth international ACM conference on Assistive technologies (pp. 104–110). Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. doi: 10.1145/638249.638269

6. Kozlovskaya, T., Mafrakhova, A. (2022). Computer games and personality development. Social and Humanitarian Innovations: Strategies for Basic and Applied Research, 248–252. (in Russ.).

7. Litvintsev, D. (2020). Social features of the simulation of the city, houses and relationships with neighbors in "The Sims" computer games. Culture and technology, 5(3), 155–165. (in Russ.).

8. Malyavina, S. (2014). The use of «The Sims 3» computer game in the educational process in a foreign language. Young scientist, 21(80), 655–657. (in Russ.).

9. Milne, C. (2012). Deconstructing games as play: progress, power, fantasy, and self. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 7, 761–765. doi: 10.1007/s11422-012-9462-7

10. Novikova, О. (2018). Person`s gaming activity in the virtual space. Society and authority, 6(74), 16–25. (in Russ.).

11. Rusakova, О., Preobrazhenskaya, А. (2010). The discourse of «The Sims 3» computer game. Discourse-Pi, 9(1–2), 85–89. (in Russ.).

12. Sharshov, I, Makarova L. (2012). Changing of the informational environment: analysis of constructive and destructive potential. Socio-economic phenomena and processes, (4), 170–176. (in Russ.).

13. Shchmelev, B. (2019). Students` lexical skills formation on the basis of computer games. Bulletin of the Tambov University. Series: Humanities, 26(194), 97–103. (in Russ.).

14. Stansbury, J. (2017). Virtual learning environments in social psychology: Using The Sims 3 to teach self-related processes. Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 124–133. doi: 10.1177/0098628317692615

15. Stark, J. (2017). A Day in the Life of a Sim: Making Meaning of Video Game Avatars and Behaviors (doctoral dissertation). Antioch University Seattle, Washington.

16. Tsikalas, K. (2022). When The Sims get real: an analysis of how digital play spaces promote learning in low-income, diverse communities. NY: CFY Technical Reports, New York.

17. Visser, B., Batinic, M., Worth, N., Book, A., Toll, E. (2020). Psychopathic Sims: Testing the Cheater-Hawk Hypothesis in a Video Game. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 6, 229–240. doi: 10.1007/s40806-020-00231-3

18. Voskresenskaya, T. (2019). Guidelines for the use of the «The Sims» computer game for the development of foreign language skills. Interactive science, 5(39), 26–28. (in Russ.).

19. Коrnilova, S. (2022). The computer game "The Sims 3": advantages and disad-vantages for the development of a teenager. The world of pedagogy and psychology: international scientific and practical journal, 01(66), 168–174. (in Russ.).