Assistant Professor Teresa Lynch was quoted in a recent PsyPost article “New research on female video game characters uncovers a surprising twist.” Lynch’s research along with PhD student Annie Dooley and PhD candidate Matt Erxleben shows that strong female characters in games can signal capability, but audiences perceive this quality of characters differently depending on whether they are playing or watching the content. Characters the team designed to appear physically strong enhanced perceptions of sexualization, reinforcing objectification when participants were watching the characters. However, strength cues did not enhance perceptions of sexualization when playing as the characters, suggesting strength cues may interrupt objectifying perceptions. 

The study reached the top of Reddit’s r/Science, sparking conversation across the platform. 

Lynch’s research reveals that female players—despite generally disliking sexualized characters—still tend to choose them, possibly due to associations with femininity, highlighting the complex impact of character design on player perceptions.