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Inside the Largest Virtual Psychology Lab In the World

bearhuntz writes: Riot Games has been using League of Legends as a psychology lab to run scientific experiments and reduce toxic player behavior for a while now. This article explains some of the experiments they're doing, and what the results have been. "For example, one product is a restricted chat mode that limits the number of messages abusive players can type per match. It’s a temporary punishment that has led to a noticeable improvement in player behavior afterward —on average, individuals who went through a period of restricted chat saw 20 percent fewer abuse reports filed by other players. The restricted chat approach also proved 4 percent more effective at improving player behavior than the usual punishment method of temporarily banning toxic players. Even the smallest improvements in player behavior can make a huge difference in an online game that attracts 67 million players every month."

15 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. first to post Clockwork Orange by turkeydance · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ah. that's better.

    1. Re:first to post Clockwork Orange by Fwipp · · Score: 2

      This just in: Not letting shitty people send as many messages in your game for a short while is "outright censorship." Even 4chan has mods, you know.

    2. Re:first to post Clockwork Orange by blue+trane · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Why can't you just use an /ignore function? Why impose your idea of what is abusive on everyone else? We have the technology to implement censorship at the client, without forcing prior restraint upon anyone.

    3. Re:first to post Clockwork Orange by Skidborg · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why, exactly should Riot Games be obliged to spend their resources supporting a toxic player that their other (profitable) players find distasteful? They have a business to run. Don't pretend that LoL matches are some kind of forum for enlightened and creative thought. It's a game. A game which is made worse for all involved when enraged ranting is allowed to fill the chat in place of useful tactical communication.

      --
      Supporter of the +1 Over Dramatic mod option. In memory of apk.
    4. Re:first to post Clockwork Orange by geminidomino · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Except it's not terribly insightful, nor is it particularly truthful. There's a big gap between "abridging freedom of speech" and "not giving assholes a platform for their bullshit." Let them provide their own, with hookers and blackjack, etc.etc.

      It's not any different dropping spammers and that asshole who keeps trying to dictionary attack your SSH teergrube into a blocklist: crying "censorship" because you get smacked down for behaving like a tit isn't "insightful," it just makes you look like a 12 year old.

    5. Re: first to post Clockwork Orange by geminidomino · · Score: 2

      And you're exactly the kind of person I'm referring to. If I invite someone over for a dinner party and they decide to piss on my couch "Becuz freedum," then they're going to be removed, bodily, and not allowed back.

      Your rights end where others' begin. And I'm not referring to the non-existent "right to not be offended", before you start bleating about that. I'm referring to the game owners' right to decide who they want to invite into their game - aka "Free Association".

      If they don't want their game associated with narcissistic little shits (which, let's be frank, LoL et al have been for a long time), they have that right as much to do so, as you do to spew your attention-whoring drivel: they're not stopping you from sharing your inane little opinions, which would be "censorship:" they're just making you get your own fucking microphone.

  2. Not Really... by Stormy+Dragon · · Score: 2

    The largest virutal psychology lab. The scientists have just been conditioned to think it is.

  3. I doubt it by Ziggitz · · Score: 2

    This is a common practice used by a huge number of consumer facing businesses. Just off the top of my head I imagine Youtube, Facebook and Amazon all eclipse League of Legends in terms of A/B testing

    --
    There is no memory shortage. yes I have heard of XFCE. Go away.
    1. Re:I doubt it by zippthorne · · Score: 3, Interesting

      A/B testing is using feedback from your users to determine how to configure your product so that it is most useful to them. What LoL seems to be doing is using feedback from their product to change the users to be more useful...

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  4. But, voice is worse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I played derivatives of it like hon or maybe dotA, I forget. But in my brief time playing trying to get the hang of it, I just remember being told that I was a retard and a faggot and that I should kill myself. I think I missed something in mid as well.

    I've played fps with voice chat, and people get mad when objectives fail but I think most people are just doing their own thing and try to make up for crappy players by upping their own game. Some don't even care because it's more about having fun than anything else.

    Nothing in dota, lol or hon can be fixed with a mute button or a report button. I'm convinced the game mechanics simply flips a switch in normal people. Like an exaggerated version of that shitcocks image that is used to explain forum trolls.

  5. The Toffee Approach by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    Why not let abuse take place online in virtual environments?

    Because it sucks and leads to much more offline abusive behavior by otherwise good people after they have been repeatedly harassed.

    Instead, this psychology of banning and throttling likely leads to more offline abusive real-life suffering.

    The opposite is true. Because the natural abuser is inclined to fight through any system thrown at them, throttling and other attempts drain their energy more than simply letting them post would, leading to more relaxed (or at least less) behavior offline.

    Not to mention, we all know that trolls online are probably losers who would never in a billion years have the nerve to say or do anything offensive offline...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  6. Re:So it just comes out in other ways. by BadPirate · · Score: 2

    Instead, this psychology of banning and throttling likely leads to more offline abusive real-life suffering.

    Factless speculation.

    Actually, when people behave better online, and are surrounded by people behaving better online, the net result is better real life behavior.

    See I can do it too.

    --
    - Holy crap, I've got MOD points! Who thought that was a good idea.
  7. Re:So it just comes out in other ways. by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 2

    ... Because then people would stop playing their game and start playing one made by devs who cared?

  8. Oh man, I'd hate to see how your kids turn out. by Sowelu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...addressing the common theme in the above comments collectively. Trying to make people act less anti-social, in a privately run setting, is horrible censorship and a terrible evil? Trying to get people to act civilly is more unethical than telling people to kill themselves? Are you serious? I hope you don't take that approach raising kids, or managing workers. Jesus Christ.

  9. Re:Censorship is the only toxic behavior here. by del_diablo · · Score: 2

    There is a large medium difference, and if you don't get that, the discussion can not be had.
    League isn't a hangout place, its a entertainment medium. You go there to do something, and interaction is a secondary concern.
    You describe #politics as a place where you go for the sake of interaction, where the contrast with ##politics also makes it seem that the latter is filled with butthurt banhammers.