Repercussions of DOTA 2 Culture in the Psychological Well-being of Students in

the Rosario community

DOTA 2: The Psychological Defense

In partial fulfilment to
Research Project

Abarintos, John Lemuel

Agarin, Emmanuel

Guno, Giane

Masukat, Jomar

Reyes, John David Axcel

Tuliao, Diana Rose

2019

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
 The researchers express their deepest thanks and gratitude to the people who
helped and shared their valuable assistance for the realization of this study.

To Ms. Liza Cueto, their research teacher, for her tireless guidance from the start
and to the progress of the research up until the final process;

To the owners of computer shops for accommodating the researchers in this

endeavour;

To the respondents for their unselfish cooperation in lending their time for the
accomplishment of the data gathering procedure;

To Ms. Nida Ilagan for her suggestions and endearing support;

To their understanding and supportive parents who gave inspiration for the
researchers in doing the study;

Above all, to GOD ALMIGHTY for giving them the gift of everything.

Their sincerest Thanks to All!

J. L. A

E. M. A

G.P.G

J. R. M

J. D. R

D. I. T

iii
 DEDICATION

This humble piece of work is affectionately dedicated

To the researchers’ parents, Noel Agarin and Mylen Magtibay, Lucio Guno and Emily
Panganiban, Wasser Masukat and Juanita Rabino, Dennis Reyes and Maricel Garcia,
Emiliano Abarintos and Loreta Campo, Restituto Tuliao and Liezl Ilagan.

Most of all to our Almighty God;

Without HIM, this study will not be possible.

J. L. A

E. M. A

G.P.G

J. R. M

J. D. R

D. I. T

iv
 CHAPTER I

The Problem and Its Background

Background of the study

The things people deem enjoyable are those under the area of entertainment or
pleasure that unfortunately when abused may cause imminent danger to its user. DOTA
2 is one of this so called entertainment or pleasures of the flesh and the question lies to
what the consequences may be from the ecstasy of playing such online game.

With the kaleidoscope layers of realities human minds create, one of the best is
the realm of computer gaming, for instance, DOTA (Defense of the Ancient) and the latest,
DOTA 2 for which a salad of different races go crazy for- the game that shamed Special
Force in 2004. Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) is a custom scenario for Warcraft III,
based on the “Aeon of Strife” map for StarCraft .The objective of the scenario is to destroy
the opponents’ ”Ancient.” The two team’s ancients are heavily guarded structures at
opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are
assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters called “creeps”. As in role-playing
games, players level up their hero and use gold to buy equipment during the mission. The
scenario was developed with the “World Editor” of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and was
updated upon the release of the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. DOTA offers a variety
of game modes, selected by the game host at the beginning of the match. The game
modes dictate the difficulty of the scenario, as well as whether people can choose their
hero or are assigned one randomly. Many game modes can be combined, allowing more
flexible options. (Maslog, 1998)

There have been many variations of the original concept; currently, the most
popular is DOTA All-stars, which has been maintained by several authors during
development. Since its release, All stars has become a feature at several worldwide
tournaments, including Blizzard Entertainment’s Blizz Con and the Asian World Cyber
Games, as well as the Cyber athlete Amateur and Cyber Evolution leagues; Gama sutra
declared that DOTA was perhaps the most popular “free, non-supported game mod in the
world”.

It is the most popular realm where players escape reality and be characters or
personalities they wish to be. This is perhaps the main reason why many people,
especially those inexpressive of themselves are so engrossed with this online game. It
has replaced the humble TV as the most famous babysitter, parents and guardians need
not worry about a child’s location or what he/she does and will be doing- the child may be
left alone in front of the screen for hours and if undisturbed, for days. Likewise, because
of the intense and real-like feature of the game, gamers apparently feel more alive,
confident, stronger, and even so, popular because of the game’s massive number of
players. It inculcates gamers of a feeling of acceptance every time they play as part of a
team; transcends their feeling of rigor because they could escape the burdens of the true
realm. The game also masks their identities from embarrassment in failure compared to
the shaming moment in real life. It also provides the players a feeling of comfort where
they are able to release their stresses into something they believe is productive especially
that the game requires supreme mental sweating.

According to Guinsoo, the creator and the first head developer of Ice frog, he and
his men created DOTA in 2003 as a customized game in Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
created by Blizzard Entertainment. DOTA is popular not only here in the Philippines but
also in other countries like Germany, United States of America, Canada, Slovenia and
England. From elementary, high school, college, out of school youth and even adults,
DOTA dominates the gaming life of most gamers.

As DOTA arises, many issues also arise. It may be about on relationships, peers,
foes, and most especially, education. “Responsible gaming is an attitude necessary when
engaging into computer games. Developing this attitude is not a personal choice alone, it
requires the participation of society (parents, school, game developer and government).

Statement of the Problem

 The main purpose of this study is to know the repercussions of DOTA 2
culture in the psychological well-being of students in the Rosario Community. It aims to
answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents?

1.1 Age: ___
1.2 Gender: ___
1.3 Year Level: ___
1.4 GWA: ___
2. How does playing DOTA 2 affect a student’s psychological state?
3. Does DOTA 2 have a significant effect on a student’s performance and behavior
in studying?
4. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of the student respondents
and the effects of playing DOTA 2?
5. Is there a significant effect of a student’s behavior in the academic performance of
a student?
6. What possible aid can be brought in the psychological area from its current
processes and regulations in the learning & teaching areas?

Objectives

This study is an attempt to determine the effects of DOTA 2 culture in the academic
performance of students. Moreover, the objective of this study are:

1. To know the demographic profile of the respondents

2. To know the effects of DOTA 2 in a student’s psychological state
3. To determine the effects in a student’s performance and behavior in studying
4. To know the relationship between the profile of the student respondents and the
effects of DOTA 2.
5. To identify the significant effect of a student’s behavior in the academic
performance of a student
6. To distinguish the possible aid can be brought in the academic and psychological
area from its current processes and regulations in the learning & teaching areas
Significance of the Study

To the Players. Through this study, players or gamers will learn the consequences of
effects of playing DOTA2 in the factors such as their behavior or mental well-being that
has direct connection with their academic performance. The study would help them
identify what to avoid or maintain in playing DOTA 2 while studying or doing tasks deemed
more significant by standards. This would also inform the gamers of what possible
situations in the future they might encounter in their academic and psychological
concerns.

To the Prefect of Discipline. The study will be able to explain and inform what a school’s
disciplinary head of how to understand the committed offenses brought by a student who
is over-exposed to the culture of DOTA 2. This study will provide a basis of formulating
processes or disciplinary actions to take should an issue concerning such student arise.

To the Guidance Counselor. This research will be able to aid a guidance counselor in
what psychological process to take in counseling a student engrossed in the culture of
DOTA 2. This study will help the counselor in understanding the behavior of such students
and for what reasons a student has leading to comprehension and a more suitable
approach to take.

To the Teachers. The research will provide necessary insights on regulations and
techniques concerned with processes in teaching and taking actions that will develop
teaching in the learning set-up of a DOTA 2-engrosse student. It will also inform them of
required knowledge and skills needed to further improve teaching processes. Likewise,
in such manner teachers will be able to further hone their competencies, especially
psychologically, in the field while practicing it on real life situations.

To the Parents. The study encourages the parents to continue supervising their children
along the learning process, updating them on their children’s academic performance.
Additionally, parents will have more background on the effects of playing DOTA 2 and will
help them to understand their children more.

To Academic Institutions. Having known the effects of playing DOTA 2 in the learning
set-up, schools will be informed of the effects or consequences. They will be able to
improve current running regulations, should there be any and occurring teaching practices
involving teaching DOTA 2-engrosse students. Schools will have proper background of
understanding or being aware of what actions to take in the light of an issue concerning
a student’s overall behavior and attitude in academics. Furthermore, schools may be
given suggestions that its mentors be given proper and effective training with managing
students’ discipline and learning processes thereby increasing competency in teachers
and improving its overall academic reputation.

To the Non-Gamers. These usually negates the notion that there are also possible good
effects in playing DOTA 2. This study will help them see the other side of the issue, if
there are any, and will make them understand why people play this game.

Scope and Delimitations

The study will focus on the repercussions of DOTA 2 Culture in the psychological
well-being of students in the Rosario community. The study will cover the impact of the
online computer game, DOTA 2 in the mental and emotional well-being of students.
Likewise, this research endeavors to know what possible improvements can be made in
the present disciplinary regulations and school counseling processes thereby developing
an integrated psychological approach with academic bearing. The research also
emphasizes the awareness and what benefits a respondent has and may acquire in the
study.

The study will be limited only to the 10 high school students randomly selected
around the Rosario community. It does not include other high school students in other
places. The research is also bounded within the borders of Rosario and not any other
vicinity. This research will be conducted from November to March 2018.

Operational Definitions

DOTA 2- a multiplayer online battle arena video game as the prime factor in identifying a
student’s psychological effects

Online Game- games that are played over some form of computer network, most often
the Internet that categorizes the formally mentioned game
Realm- a field or domain of activity or interest that describes the certain situation an
individual is immersed

Responsible Gaming- a concept that gaming and gambling operators, software

suppliers and associated service providers need to uphold to ensure their offerings uphold
the highest standards to ensure a fair and safe gaming experience that protects players
from the adverse consequences of gaming and gambling that will be a possible
suggestion for students’ psychological improvement or development

Scenario- internally consistent verbal picture of a phenomenon, sequence of events, or

situation, based on certain assumptions and factors chosen by its creator that describes
the setting of the game

Special Force- a first-person shooter video game developed and published by the
Lebanese political group Hezbollah used in the study as prime comparison to the
popularity rate of DOTA 2
 CHAPTER III

Research methodology

This chapter presents the research design, method of research, population

sampling and sampling technique, research instrument, and statistical treatment of data
utilized in this paper.

Research Design

This study is conducted with a qualitative research approach honoring an inductive

style of research to come up with logically empirical data or results under descriptive and
explanatory purposes. Qualitative research is a research approach that aims to explore
and understand social or human problems and what those problems mean to individuals
or groups involved. (Creswell, 2013)

In practice, conducting qualitative research requires use of various skills like

intensive listening and note taking, additionally careful planning and preparation is
required before and during the interviews (Qu & Dumay, 2011).

At its core, descriptive research seeks to describe the characteristics or behavior

of an audience. (McNeill, 2018)

Descriptive research is used extensively in social science, psychology and

educational research. It can provide a rich data set that often brings to light new
knowledge or awareness that may have otherwise gone unnoticed or encountered. It is
particularly useful when it is important to gather information with disruption of the subjects
or when it is not possible to test and measure large numbers of samples. It allows
researchers to observe natural behaviors without affecting them in any
way. (Mandernach, et. Al 2018)

On the other hand, exploratory designs are often used to establish an

understanding of how best to proceed in studying an issue or what methodology would
effectively apply to gathering information about the issue. (Cuthill, 2002)
 Likewise, the study is deemed phenomenological because the researchers aim to
study various reactions to or perceptions of the research topic. Fraenkel and Wallen
(2009) states that the searching for the essence of an experience is the cornerstone- the
defining characteristic-of phenomenological research.

Research Method

In the current study, there was an attempt to present the collected data from the
respondents, have them organized and then applied to the appropriate descriptive and
explanatory treatments in order to arrive with the desired answers to the problems
posited.

Moreover, this study is basically empirical or phenomenological since conclusions

are based on qualitative data. Also, the research environment was conducted in a real
field situation, since the research design is in a field setting.

This study aims to gather insights, identify, define, present, interpret, and analyze
data in the context of the repercussions of DOTA 2 Culture in the psychological well-being
of students and players alike in which the researchers want to give an emphasis on the
possible outcomes of DOTA 2 culture in psychological areas as well as its impacts on
their mental and academic welfare so as to achieve better improvements in the
disciplinary or psychological area and learning set-up.

The method of collecting data is through in-depth interview and survey

questionnaire during the second semester of school year 2019-2020 and the research
design is a semi-structured interview.

Semi-structured interview resides between structured and unstructured interviews.

Semi- structured interview is guided by pre-identified themes and it involves prepared
questions done in a systematic style, with additional probing questions in place for
seeking more detailed responses. Task of the interviewer is to steer the conversation
towards topics of interest from the series of broad themes that are being covered by the
interview. The prepared interview structures range from fairly loose to very scripted, while
all serving the purpose of ensuring that same thematic approach is applied during the
interviews. Semi-structured interview is considered flexible, accessible and easy to
understand, while capable of revealing important aspects of human behavior. (Qu and
Dumay, 2011)

Sample and Sampling Technique

The respondents of the study are selected gamers or players of DOTA 2 who might
either be high school students from grades 7 to 12, regardless of school or strand.
Likewise, they are selected students who are enrolled this school year 2019-2020.

The researchers used criterion based or purposive approach under non probability
sampling in determining the number of respondents. Furthermore, the researchers sought
for homogenous samples identified through snowball sampling under non probability
sampling to ensure a fairly equal representation of the variables in the study. Also,
according to the definition of snowball sampling where the respondents are selected as
need arises during the conduct of the study through recommendation from prior
respondents sampled until exact proportions of certain types of data are obtained or until
the collection of data is done, the study utilized snowball and quota sampling to reach
104 respondents from the Rosario community.

Snowball sampling can be used as an informal method of reaching the target

population of a study and it is most commonly used in conducting qualitative research
interviews. Snowball sampling has the ability to reveal aspects of social experience that
are often hidden from view. (Atkinson & Flint, 2001)

Instrumentation and Validation

The research instrument used in this study is a set of survey questionnaires. The
researchers used the internet in the construction of the instruments. Various related
studies, researches, and blogs were read. The researchers compressed all the ideas and
formed it into questions as such for the instrument. Many questions were formulated just
to find the specific questions and statements to be included in the questionnaire.
Moreover, the researchers used their empirical knowledge in furthering already stated
questions from the previously mentioned source of the instrument used, as the
researchers are also high school students experiencing and knowing the same as the
respondents. Then the researchers asked the approval of all the questions formulated to
be used in the study.

The researchers underwent two stages in the validation of the survey instrument.
The first stage was face validation. In this stage, a copy of the study’s questionnaire was
presented to the research teacher to analyse and give comments and recommendations
to improve the questionnaire’s content based on its organization, structure, and purpose.
After editing and changing some items based on the recommendations and comments
made, the second was having a mock survey.

The mock survey was done by conducting a survey utilizing the questionnaires to
the researchers’ classmates who were part of the respondents of the study. The mock
survey was conducted in order to know and enhance the researchers’ ways of
administering data gathering. Also, it served as a secondary checking of the
questionnaires to know the reactions of the respondents to further improve the
questionnaires. The mock survey was then subjected to validation and criticism by the
research teacher.

The questionnaire included a cover letter, where the researchers greeted,

introduced the topic of their study, and thanked the respondents, and the questionnaire
proper. Each respondent filled up the necessary data on the first part including the
demographic profile needed in the development of the study.

Aside from a survey questionnaire, the researchers also utilized a set of

interview questions from various studies that conducted almost a similar theme to fulfill
the study’s method of a semi-structured interview in order to collect valuable data.