COOPERATIVE EMOTIONAL INTERACTION IN VIRTUAL COMPETITIVE GROUP ACTIVITY

Sammanfattning: This study examines emotional interaction within virtual competitive group activity. The participants are 5 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players who belong to the same team. The study is an observational study in a naturalistic setting that utilizes an inductive- deductive approach. The study uses a methodology developed specifically for video-based research as well as Ethnomethodological conversation analysis (EMCA). The data consists of video and audio recorded on the participants’ computers during a match. The results illustrate how players utilize emotional interactions in different ways during a virtual competitive group activity. The interpretations of the data were based on two theories: The Emotions as temporal interpersonal system (TIES) model and the Emotions as social information (EASI) model. Using the TIES model, instances of co-regulation and co-dysregulation in the participants’ interactions during the match are explored. Using the EASI model, the participants’ use of emotions as information was examined. Our interpretations indicate that players use emotions in their interactions during a virtual competitive group activity and partake in interactions where the emotional content escalates and de-escalates. We suggest that these findings should be taken into consideration when developing training programmes for esports athletes and that further research on emotional interactions within competitive virtual context is possible.