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. 2015 May 11;1(1):e2. doi: 10.2196/mededu.3754

Table 2.

Comparison of gaming aspects by gender.

Gaming aspects
Male (N=187), n (%) Female (N=307), n (%) P values
Interest in playing




Not interested 17/186 (9.1) 23/301 (7.6) .558

Interested 169/186 (90.9) 278/301 (92.4)
Interest level of interested students




Weak interest 92/169 (54.4) 199/278 (71.6) <.001b

Strong interest 77/169 (45.6) 79/278 (28.4)
Paid for in-game items




Yes 59/187 (31.6) 59/307 (19.2) .002b

No 128/187 (68.4) 248/307 (80.8)
Payment method for in-game items a




Own allowance 50/58 (86.2) 51/59 (86.4) .971

Own income 14/58 (24.1) 6/59 (10.2) .045b

Parents’ money 6/58 (10.3) 7/59 (11.9) .794
Reward system




Score 26/157 (16.6) 39/275 (14.2) .506

Experience points 31/157 (19.7) 59/275 (21.5) .674

Item granting 22/157 (14.0) 20/275 (7.3) .023b

Resources 7/157 (4.5) 15/275 (5.5) .651

Achievement system 23/157 (14.6) 37/275 (13.5) .730

Feedback messages 0 (0.0) 4/275 (1.5) .302

Plot animations & pictures 19/157 (12.1) 18/275 (6.5) .047b

Unlocking mechanism 29/157 (18.5) 83/275 (30.2) .008b
Game setting




Science fiction 30/182 (16.5) 36/293 (12.3) .199

Historical 18/182 (9.9) 21/293 (7.2) .293

Fantasy/medieval/mythic 98/182 (53.8) 153/293 (52.2) .730

Modern 36/182 (19.8) 81/293 (27.6) .053

Others 0 (0.0) 2/293 (0.7) -
Game storyline




War 38/183 (20.8) 11/295 (3.7) <.001b

Heroic/saving humanity 25/183 (13.7) 35/295 (11.9) .564

Spy/secret agent 23/183 (12.6) 76/295 (25.8) <.001b

Adventurer 54/183 (29.5) 93/295 (31.5) .642

Authentic pharmacy-related plot 41/183 (22.4) 77/295 (26.1) .362

Others 2/183 (1.1) 3/295 (1.0) -
Game perspective




2D 59/185 (31.9) 161/303 (53.1) <.001b

3D 126/185 (68.1) 142/303 (46.9)
2D game perspectives




2D top-down 48/59 (81.4) 110/161 (68.3) .057

2D side-scrolling 11/59 (18.6) 51/161 (31.7)
3D game perspectives




3D first-person 67/126 (53.2) 79/142 (55.6) .687

3D third-person 59/126 (46.8) 63/142 (44.4)
Game style




Competitive 54/182 (29.7) 93/304 (30.6) .830

Cooperative 56/182 (30.8) 101/304 (33.2) .575

Collaborative 72/182 (39.6) 110/304 (36.2) .457
Game scenario




A (authentic simulation) 58/187 (31.0) 151/306 (49.3) <.001b

B (post-apocalyptic fantasy) 129/187 (69.0) 155/306 (50.7)

aPercentages may not add to 100% due to multiple responses.

bStatistical significance was defined as P<.05.