The Impact of Playing the Otome Game on Single Women’s Interest in Real-life Romantic Relationships

Research Article
Open access

The Impact of Playing the Otome Game on Single Women’s Interest in Real-life Romantic Relationships

Jitong Chen 1 , Linni Yu 2* , Yinduo Jiang 3
  • 1 Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, USA    
  • 2 Ivey Business School, Western University, London, Canada    
  • 3 Department of Psychology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, China    
  • *corresponding author nyu.mba2024@ivey.ca
CHR Vol.70
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-147-1
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-148-8

Abstract

Otome games have gained popularity among women, offering a space to fulfill their emotional and romantic desires. This study explores how playing Otome games may reduce single women’s interest in real-life romantic relationships through the lens of evolutionary psychology. We designed a study with 200 single Chinese women aged 18-35 who have not previously played Otome games, to play an Otome game called Love and Deepspace for three months and we will record their gaming time and monetary expenditure. The study aims to test the hypothesis that increased engagement in Otome games, measured by time and money spent, negatively correlates with participants’ interests in real-life romantic relationships. Our research examines how supernormal stimuli—idealized traits in virtual romantic partners—appeal to female mating preferences, contributing to an evolutionary mismatch. This mismatch may have significant implications for how modern virtual dating experiences shape romantic behaviors, with potential effects on societal trends such as declining interest in real-life romantic relationships.

Keywords:

Otome games, virtual love, supernormal stimulus

Chen,J.;Yu,L.;Jiang,Y. (2025). The Impact of Playing the Otome Game on Single Women’s Interest in Real-life Romantic Relationships. Communications in Humanities Research,70,203-208.
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References

[1]. Yamada, M. (2017) Decline of real love and rise of virtual love: Love in Asia. Int. J. Jap. Sociol., 26: 6–12.

[2]. Wang, Y., Notary, G. (2023) Virtual Love Experience in Love and Producer: Exploring perceptions of love, romance, and gender in the Otome game player communities in China. Media Commun. Res., 4: 5-11.

[3]. Tian, Y. (2022) Falling in Love With Virtual Boyfriends: The Otome Games in Japan and Mainland China. Google Scholar Google Scholar Reference. https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/8b4da0a1-9af2-406c-a25b-50b6755d5171/content

[4]. Buss, D. M. (2019) Evolutionary psychology: The New Science of the Mind. Routledge.

[5]. Salmon, C., Symons, D. (2003) Warrior Lovers: Erotic Fiction, Evolution and Female Sexuality. Yale University Press.

[6]. Tinbergen, N. (1951) The Study of Instinct. Oxford University Press.

[7]. Gwynne, D.T., Rentz, D.C. (1983) Beetles on the bottle: Male buprestids mistake stubbies for females (Coleoptera). Aust. J. Entomol., 22: 79–80.

[8]. Karhulahti, V., Välisalo, T. (2021) Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A Qualitative study of love and desire for fictional characters. Front. Psychol., 11: 575427.

[9]. Burch, R.L., Widman, D.R. (2023) Comic book bodies are supernormal stimuli: Comparison of DC, Marvel, and actual humans. Evol. Behav. Sci., 17: 245–258.

[10]. Chi, C. (2019) The Otome game: Behind the controversy. Retrieved September 12 from https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/82256986

[11]. Reeves, B., Nass, C. (1997) The media equation: how people treat computers, television, and new media like real people and places. Choice Reviews Online, 34: 34–3702.

[12]. Zhao, S., Wu, X. (2020a) Motivations and consumption practices of fostered idol fans: a self-determination theory approach. J. Consum. Mark., 38: 91–100.

[13]. Fletcher, G. J. O., Simpson, J. A., Campbell, L., & Overall, N. C. (2015). Pair-Bonding, romantic love, and evolution. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(1), 20–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614561683

[14]. Wu, Y., Cai, W., Mensah, S.A. (2023) “We Found Love”: romantic video game involvement and desire for Real-Life romantic relationships among female gamers. Soc. Sci. Comput. Rev., 08944393231217940.

[15]. Gong, A., Huang, Y. (2023) Finding love in online games: social interaction, parasocial phenomenon, and in-game purchase intention of female game players. Comput. Hum. Behav., 143: 107681.

[16]. Zhang, Q., Fung, A. (2017) “Fan economy and consumption: fandom of Korean music bands in China.” In: Yoon, T.J., Jin, D.J. (Eds.), The Korean Wave: Evolution, Fandom, and Transnationality, Lanham: Lexington Books, pp. 129–144.

Cite this article

Chen,J.;Yu,L.;Jiang,Y. (2025). The Impact of Playing the Otome Game on Single Women’s Interest in Real-life Romantic Relationships. Communications in Humanities Research,70,203-208.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies

ISBN：978-1-80590-147-1(Print) / 978-1-80590-148-8(Online)
Editor：Heidi Gregory-Mina
Conference website: https://2024.icihcs.org/
Conference date: 29 November 2024
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.70
ISSN：2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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References

[1]. Yamada, M. (2017) Decline of real love and rise of virtual love: Love in Asia. Int. J. Jap. Sociol., 26: 6–12.

[2]. Wang, Y., Notary, G. (2023) Virtual Love Experience in Love and Producer: Exploring perceptions of love, romance, and gender in the Otome game player communities in China. Media Commun. Res., 4: 5-11.

[3]. Tian, Y. (2022) Falling in Love With Virtual Boyfriends: The Otome Games in Japan and Mainland China. Google Scholar Google Scholar Reference. https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/8b4da0a1-9af2-406c-a25b-50b6755d5171/content

[4]. Buss, D. M. (2019) Evolutionary psychology: The New Science of the Mind. Routledge.

[5]. Salmon, C., Symons, D. (2003) Warrior Lovers: Erotic Fiction, Evolution and Female Sexuality. Yale University Press.

[6]. Tinbergen, N. (1951) The Study of Instinct. Oxford University Press.

[7]. Gwynne, D.T., Rentz, D.C. (1983) Beetles on the bottle: Male buprestids mistake stubbies for females (Coleoptera). Aust. J. Entomol., 22: 79–80.

[8]. Karhulahti, V., Välisalo, T. (2021) Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A Qualitative study of love and desire for fictional characters. Front. Psychol., 11: 575427.

[9]. Burch, R.L., Widman, D.R. (2023) Comic book bodies are supernormal stimuli: Comparison of DC, Marvel, and actual humans. Evol. Behav. Sci., 17: 245–258.

[10]. Chi, C. (2019) The Otome game: Behind the controversy. Retrieved September 12 from https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/82256986

[11]. Reeves, B., Nass, C. (1997) The media equation: how people treat computers, television, and new media like real people and places. Choice Reviews Online, 34: 34–3702.

[12]. Zhao, S., Wu, X. (2020a) Motivations and consumption practices of fostered idol fans: a self-determination theory approach. J. Consum. Mark., 38: 91–100.

[13]. Fletcher, G. J. O., Simpson, J. A., Campbell, L., & Overall, N. C. (2015). Pair-Bonding, romantic love, and evolution. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(1), 20–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614561683

[14]. Wu, Y., Cai, W., Mensah, S.A. (2023) “We Found Love”: romantic video game involvement and desire for Real-Life romantic relationships among female gamers. Soc. Sci. Comput. Rev., 08944393231217940.

[15]. Gong, A., Huang, Y. (2023) Finding love in online games: social interaction, parasocial phenomenon, and in-game purchase intention of female game players. Comput. Hum. Behav., 143: 107681.

[16]. Zhang, Q., Fung, A. (2017) “Fan economy and consumption: fandom of Korean music bands in China.” In: Yoon, T.J., Jin, D.J. (Eds.), The Korean Wave: Evolution, Fandom, and Transnationality, Lanham: Lexington Books, pp. 129–144.

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