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INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Computers have become a major source of fun and entertainment to people especially to

students. Aside from being used for communication, business and academics, the computer and

the Internet Technology it engendered, has changed the way people spend their leisure time. One

such change is in the arena of games and playing.

The Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) is a game which centers on team of the

players, controlling single character in the game, fighting for dominance. MOBAs have become

the genre of game most conducive to Esports as an industry in a big way (Luxe, 2014). One of the

many video games known as MOBA is the game Defense of the Ancients 2, more popularly known

as DotA 2.

DotA 2 is one of those most played online game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a

stand-alone sequel to the WarCraft III custom map DotA. An estimate of 7.86 million monthly

active subscribers play it. The game is played by selecting a “Hero” to destroy the “Ancient” of

the opposing side. The ancients are located at the two opposite corners across the custom map.

The hero chosen will either be human players or controlled Heroes (Infantado, 2009).

Since its original release, DotA has become a feature at several worldwide tournaments,

including Blizzard Entertainment's BlizzConand: the Asian World Cyber Games, as well as the

Cyberathlete Amateur and CyberEvolution leagues. In a 2008 article of video game industry

website Gamasutra, the article's author claimed that DotA was probably "the most popular and
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most-discussed free, non-supported game mod in the world". DotA is largely attributed to being

the most significant inspiration for the multiplayer online battle arena genre.

Many people engage themselves in the game because it has a different game play compared

to other games. It does not only focus on heroes clashing, but also on how a player controls his or

her lane by utilizing the creeps (type of unit within DotA 2 that heroes can interact with, but do

not have direct control over by default). The game requires not only teamwork and communication,

but also creativeness and critical thinking.

The popularity of DotA 2 has increased over time and gets the attention from the many

people of the world. It made the Valve Company to host one major event a year: The International,

where the best DotA 2 players compete for a crowd-funded, multi-million dollar cash prize pool.

Prior to releasing the Compendium for The International 2015, Valve announced plans for the

"DotA Major Championships" which encompasses The International and three Valve-sponsored

events leading up to it which offers 18,428, 613.05 dollars prize. An estimated of 51,081, 768. 82

dollars have already been awarded from the 504 tournaments of DotA 2.

In DotA, as in other online games, players are engaged in communication with other

players. It has been observed that these communication contexts involve considerable amount of

trash-talking behaviour. The key selling point of this video contest is a non-stop trash talk from

the other game players—it has been a fundamental part of experience in the game.

It is unclear, however, what the effects of this trash talking are, as well as the motivations

behind it. Thus, the reason why the researcher conducted this study is to understand the
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phenomenon of trash talk with impartiality. This will also study the phenomenon of trash talking

in the context of the countrym more importantly, in Ilocos Norte.

Moreover, there is a need to analyze gamers’ perceptions of trash-talking behaviour in

order to further understand and know their insights why sometimes a player trash talks when in a

DotA game.

Statement of the Problem

The researcher focused on analyzing the in- game conversation of the DOTA players that

sought to answer the following specific questions:

1. What are the typed and spoken trash talks used by Ilokano DotA players?

2. Why do DOTA players engage in trash talking?

3. How does trash talking affect the playing of the DOTA players?

Scope and Limitation

The study is done by means of observation, interview, and focus group discussion among

the selected DOTA players in Ilocos Norte. Thus, the data gathered were only limited to the
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answers provided by the participants during the interview and discussion, as well as the

observation of the researcher.

Significance of the Study

The study will be of benefit to the following:

Educators. Since e-Sports have been already offered as an elective subject in Norway,

Australia, and Sweden for primary and secondary schools, online games such as DotA and DotA

2 would not also be impossible to be offered as part of the curriculum of students here in the

Philippines. Thus, the results of the study can help educators understand the language that DOTA

players use.

Game Developers. Nowadays, many people have been engaged in playing online games.

Thus, the result of the observation and interview can be considered by the game developers to

improve their game. Also, the data gathered could be suggested to the game developers in coming

up with games that can promote the development of the youth and promotion of good values.

Parents. With a growing number of children and teens spending excessive time in playing

computer games, it is important for the parents to know the possible effects of playing online

games to their children. This paper would help the parents to learn things about online gaming

which could serve as a tool of educating them the effects of video games in their development.

Online Gamers. Many of the online gamers only focus on the good effects of playing

computer games. Sometimes, they become not aware of the changes in their behaviour. That is
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why this paper will serve as their guide to be conscious of the possible effects of DotA games to

them particularly trash talking.

Researchers. In the Philippine context, there are only a few studies on trash talking and

online gaming. Thus, results of this study can be used by other future researchers who want to

pursue a related study.

Definition of Terms

To further clarify the meanings of the terms used in this study, the words are defined as

follows:

Computer shops – places that contain computer units that someone can rent for surfing

the net or gaming. Some shops utilize cubicles for the privacy of their users. Some shops sell

computer software, hardware or offer repair services

Creeps- type of unit in DotA 2 that heroes can interact with, but do not have direct control

over by default

DotA-a custom map game by Warcraft III; released in 2003 by Eul. It is a competitive

game of action and strategy

DOTA 2-a multiplayer online battle arena video game, the stand-alone sequel to

the Defense of the Ancients (DotA) Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne mod

Developed by Valve Corporation

ESports- form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by electronic

systems
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Local Area Network (LAN)- a computer network that interconnects computers within a

limited area such as residence, school, laboratory, or office building

Online Gamer-a person who plays online

Trash talk-disparaging, insulting, taunting, or boastful comments especially between

opponents in the DotA games trying to intimidate each other

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents related literature and studies which were been used as a guide by the

researcher. Also, it shows the conceptual framework which determines the flow of ideas in this

research study.
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Related Literature

Online Gaming

With the growth of the Internet, more people have access to online games. Online gaming

is a popular form of entertainment that influences the quality of life

of players (Shen & Williams,2011). A specific type of gaming that involves violent online game

exposure (VOGE) is of considerable concern to researchers, regulators, and the public.

A particular concern is that playing online violent games can influence aggression in both short

and long term (Anderson & Bushman, 2002) by influencing cognitive and emotional beliefs

(Anderson et al., 2010).

Online gaming is a niche enough culture that it needs all the supporters it can get. As

controversy and strong characters attract supporters. It is unique among sports because players can

mute or ignore other players if they are so fragile that their feelings can be affected by what

someone says online. (Requiem, 2004)

Video games are a cultural phenomenon of increasing relevance, with millions of players

in North America alone (Williams et al., 2009). They are no longer toys for children, as people

who grew up with video games matured to adulthood, as digital games grow in complexity and

sophistication, as the game development industry grows in economic importance, and as ever-

increasing numbers adopt video games as an essential recreational and social activity. The majority

of adults 18 and older (53%) play video games and 21% of gamers play daily or almost daily

(Lenhart et al., 2008). Today‘s adults play more than previous generations, propelling the video

game industry to $7.4 billion in U.S. sales in 2006 (Williams et al., 2009). According to the
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Entertainment Software Association, the percentage of frequent gamers that played online had

risen to 44 percent, from 19 percent in 2000 (Castronova, 2007). Computer games as a pastime are

now an acceptable mainstream activity. They are played in the privacy of homes on computers and

game consoles, in public on cell phones and handhelds, on planes, at the office, in schools. Over

the next generation, millions more will play.

Industry statistics indicate that the average age of video gamers is rising by about one year

each year (Castronova, 2007), players average age in the thirties now, and older players log more

hours than their younger counterparts (Williams et al., 2009). It seems that once people start

playing, most do not stop, particularly as the games mature with them. We are potentially

witnessing an exodus from ―real life‖ (RL), a migration of economic, political, social and cultural

activity. World of Warcraft became the world‘s most popular massively-multiplayer online game

(MMO) in 2007, reporting as many players as the populations of Sweden or Bolivia (Corneliussen

& Rettberg, 2008), and its 3 subscribers spend an average of twenty hours a week playing (Yee,

2006). Online technologies allow for a wide range of social activities, including research, chat

rooms, file exchanges, correspondence, blogging, playing in virtual worlds, and others. Recent

trends suggest all games will be going online within a very few years, and when they do, will likely

acquire their own societal dimension and culture (Castronova, 2007).

Online games are highly interactive 3D graphical spaces accessible online through

computer-application interfaces. Virtual worlds can be said to contain three characteristics:

community, commerce, and collaboration. Assuming the form of an avatar, a digital representation

of themselves, in either human or non-human form, they can wander virtual spaces, overcome

challenges, build virtual wealth, engage in combat, and communicate with other graphically
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represented players. As of 2007 there were more than 100 virtual worlds online (Barnes, 2007), of

different genres (ex. fantasy, science fiction, western, etc.) and dictated by different rules, encoded

by the world design. Players in online games are often encouraged to work in teams and develop

combat strategies as groups. Buying and selling in virtual currency is also very common and

encouraged. Collaboration, community and currency serve as key elements supporting virtual

societies in online games. However, despite the amazing experiences made possible by these

computer encoded spaces, these worlds are made up of real life humans, who bring with them their

own virtues and flaws.

ESports

eSports is as a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by

electronic systems. The input of players and teams as well as the output of the eSports system are

mediated by human-computer interfaces. In more practical terms, eSports commonly refer to

competitive (pro and amateur) video gaming that is often coordinated by different leagues, ladders

and tournaments, and where players customarily belong to teams or other ‘sporting’ organizations

who are sponsored by various business organizations. It has been estimated that more than 70

million people watched eSports during 2013 (Warr 2014).

People are more and more interested in eSports, and one dramatic rise is streaming. That

would be professional, or even amateur players playing a popular game like Starcraft, League of

Legends, DotA or Call of Duty, and streaming it live over the internet to an audience of thousands.
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Top players can have ten thousand to twenty thousand viewers on their stream at once, and many

of them make a living through the ads that run on their streams.

Meanwhile, eSports has emerged but only a few definitions have been proposed. The oldest

and most explicit definition by Wagner (2006) leans heavily on a definition of traditional sports

originally provided by Tiedemann (2004), as: “an area of sport activities in which people develop

and train mental or physical abilities …”.

Most commonly, eSports take the form of organized multiplayer video

game competitions, particularly between professional players. The most common video game

genres associated with eSports are real-time strategy, fighting, first-person shooter (FPS),

and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Tournaments such as The International, the League

of Legends World Championship, the Battle.net World Championship Series, the Evolution

Championship Series, and the Intel Extreme Masters, provide both live broadcasts of the

competition, and prize money and salaries to competitors (Gaudiosi, J, 2012).

He added that the genre of fighting games and arcade game fighters have also been popular
in amateur tournaments, although the fighting game community has often distanced themselves
from the eSports label. In 2012, the most popular titles featured in professional competition were
the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games DotA 2, League of Legends, and the real time
strategy game StarCraft II. Shooting games like Counter Strike, Team Fortress 2, and Call of
Duty have enjoyed some success as eSports, although their viewer numbers have remained below
those of their competitors.
DOTA and DOTA 2

DotA 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena video game, the stand-alone sequel to

the Defense of the Ancients (DotA) Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne mod.

Developed by Valve Corporation, DotA 2 was released as a free-to-play title for Microsoft
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Windows, OS X, and Linux in July 2013, concluding a Windows-only public beta testing phase

that began in 2011 (Reilly, 2011).

DotA is based on the "Aeon of Strife" map for StarCraft. The scenario objective is for each

team to destroy the opponents' Ancient, 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. As in role-playing games, players level up their heroes and use gold to buy equipment

during the mission(Mowen, 2006; Plunkett, 2012; Walbridge, 2008).

According to Walbridge (2008), DotA is an “underground revolution”. Like any other

game, the concept and its strategy are simple. “The strategy focuses on levelling; killing the heroes,

pushing the enemy’s base with allied creeps and defending against the enemies.”

DotA 2 is played in matches involving two teams of five players, each of which occupies

a stronghold at a corner of the map. Each stronghold contains a building called the "Ancient",

which the opposite team must destroy to win the match. Each player controls a character called a

"Hero", and focuses on leveling up, collecting gold, acquiring items, and fighting against the other

team to achieve victory (Gaston, 2013).

DotA pits two teams of players against each other: the Sentinel and the Scourge. Players

on the Sentinel team are based at the southwest corner of the map, and those on the Scourge team

are based at the northeast corner. Each base is defended by towers and waves of units which guard

the main paths leading to their base. In the center of each base is the "Ancient", a building that

must be destroyed to win the game (Kolan, 2011).

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Each human player controls one hero, a powerful unit with unique abilities. In DotA,

players on each side choose one of 112 heroes, each with different abilities and tactical advantages

over other heroes. The scenario is highly team-oriented; it is difficult for one player to carry the

team to victory alone. Defense of the Ancients allows up to ten players in a five-versus-five format

(Kolan, 2011).

Because the gameplay revolves around strengthening individual heroes, it does not require

focus on resource management and base-building, unlike most traditional real-time

strategy games. Killing computer-controlled or neutral units earns the player experience points;

the player gains a level when enough experience is accumulated. Levelling up improves the hero's

toughness and damage they inflict, and allows players to upgrade skills or spells. In addition to

accumulating experience, players also manage a single resource of gold. The typical resource

gathering of Warcraft III is replaced by a combat-oriented money system; in addition to a small

periodic income, heroes earn gold by killing hostile units, base structures, and enemy heroes. This

has caused emphasis on a technique called “last-hitting,” which is when the player attacks a hostile

unit when “its hit points are low enough to kill it with one blow”. Using gold, players buy items

to strengthen their hero and gain abilities; certain items can be combined with recipes to create

more powerful items. Buying items that suit one’s hero is an important tactical element of the mod

(Onyett, 2011).

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 (Anonymous, 2014).

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Trashtalk

Trash talk is a phenomenon that has the potential to perturb athletes at all expertise levels

(Conmy, 2005, 2007). Anecdotal evidence suggests trash talk has the capacity to affect athletic

performance at the very highest levels (e.g., Zinedine Zidanes ejection from the 2006 World Cup

Final). Previous research in sport sciences has revealed a myriad of verbal interactions (e.g.,

aggressive, norm-breaking) in the competitive sport environment, featuring aspects of what could

be classified under the rubric of trash talk. However, none of these studies have exclusively

focused on the trash talk phenomenon. Rather, research has examined broader areas of interest

(e.g., moral reasoning, anti-social behavior), which include facets of trash talk behavior.

Trash talk, typed or spoken, is also becoming commonplace in the world of video game

players, with sites featuring numerous references to trash talk use (http://www.gametrailers.com).

The advent of voice chat, such that is found on Xbox Live or in video games, such as Battlefield

2 or Halo, has made trash talking much easier, but most importantly much faster. In the specific

case of video game trash talk, the insults are often focused on the players game-play skill level,

but are also commonly in the form of racial, ethnic or sexual slurs. Previous technology demanded

a player stopped their game while they typed their trash talk, but instant voice chat permits players

to trash talk without pausing their play. This is a crucial feature of trash talk; it is a dynamic

interaction with unpredictable antecedents and consequences. With the advent of a trash talk

culture in video gaming, it appears a generation being raised ‘online’ is unlikely to cease

participation in the phenomenon (http://www.sportsgamer.com). It would be remiss to conclude

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that this generation of video gamers will not broaden some of this culture into real-life, and real

sports. Perhaps there is a considerable discrepancy between trash talking a video game opponent

‘online’ who you will probably never meet, and trash talking an opponent face-to-face in your high

school rivalry.

According to Bandura (1992) trash talk is used as a course of action, which can alter a

competitor’s interpretation of a specific competitive context. Trash talkers could use trash talk as

a form of weapon, much like a soldier in battle feels more confident when armed, conceivably the

trash talker feels a similar poise when permitted to exercise a specific verbal skill set.

The types of trash talk included belittling the skill or athleticism of an opponent, belittling

the courage or toughness of an opponent, demeaning the sexuality or sexual orientation of an

opponent, and getting ugly (swearing or calling names) with an opponent. These four types of trash

talk had been identified in the sport sciences literature by Rainey and Granito (2010).

Meanwhile, Andrew (2003), stated that anything that is competitive has trash talking,

including any sort of sport or video game. This creates an atmosphere conducive to playful

competition.

DotA players trash talk through the game itself. Using the game’s chat feature, players

communicate with their teammates secretly, such that no other opponents can hear or read the

message itself. It is also used to discuss what the players are going to do; to continue farming or

attack an opponent. Some players have also strategies on what message they will send. If a player

sends “no top” to his allies, it means that there is no enemy on the top of the map; the enemy

probably returns to his base to buy items or it goes to another lane to help his allies attack another
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enemy. When a hero controlled by a player dies, it has certain time to respawn; players use this

time to say sorry to his teammates or to blame his teammates of lack of support. (Rayo, 2013).

Rayo added that playing DOTA in an informal setting has never been fun without trash

talking. He mentioned that there are two means of trash talking: either verbally or through the

game itself (by chatting your team mates) while on a play. It can be also in humorous manner (ex.

“Hoy patalokanaman eh, hahahaha”). Hyperbole, a figurative language that evokes strong feeling

(e.g. “Natutulog ka ba sa pansitan?”) also manifests. Indeed, as the result of his study the

respondents have mentioned that it is fun to play the game with trash talking. That they also use

foul and strong words as an interaction between the two teams not only in their computer monitors,

but also on communicating with each other. Generally, gamers used trash talk to make fun with

each other.

Moreover, Xaiyrelle (2008), stated that Filipino DOTA players do not trash talk all the

time. However, there are slang expressions that they use. Examples include: Tangina/Tanginamo,

a swear word, which literally means “your mother is a whore;”Bobo/Tanga/Gago/Engot, which

translates into “stupid;” and rapsi, for “tastes good” and is often used after gaining anything

significant such as a kill, Roshan, or a big item.

Phenomenology

Phenomenology may be defined initially as the study of structures of experience, or

consciousness. Literally, phenomenology is the study of “phenomena”: appearances of things, or

things as they appear in our experience, or the ways we experience things, thus the meanings things

have in our experience. (Husserl, 2001)

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According to Manen (1990), the focus of phenomenological inquiry is what people

experience with regard to some phenomenon and how they interpret those experiences. It is a study

that attempts to understand people's perceptions, perspectives and understandings of a particular

situation.

Related Studies

Various studies regarding DotA and DotaaA 2, and the use of trash talks by game players

and athletes were reviewed by the researcher as her basis for this study.

Trash talk is explicitly prescribed in the rules of most sports. For example, the National

Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rule book for football explicitly prohibits "taunting,
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baiting, and ridiculing an opponent verbally" (NCAA, 2007, p. 123), and officials are directed to

assess a 15 yard penalty for such behaviors. Similar standards exist for high school competitions.

High school sports in most states is guided by the National Federation of State High School

Associations (NFHS). The NFHS "disapproves of any form of taunting which is intended or

designed to embarrass, ridicule, or demean others under any circumstance including on the basis

of race, religion, gender, or national origin" (2008, p. 56), and their Soccer Rules Book indicates

that players who engage in taunting will be given a red card and be disqualified from the game.

Despite these prohibitions, there is a sense among some observers that trash talk is quite

common in contemporary sports (LoConto & Roth, 2005; Rainey & Granito, 20 10). However,

few studies have actually examined the incidence and nature of trash talk. Greer and Jare (2006)

surveyed over 5,000 high school athletes from 14 sports. They reported that 42% of boys and 22%

of girls believed it was acceptable to taunt opponents, and 29% of boys and 41% of the girls

admitted using racial slurs against opponents at least once.

Eveslage and Delaney (1998) observed 1 1 members of a boys' high school basketball team

for one season and recorded field notes about the athletes' behaviors and speech. These authors

observed that the athletes' sport-centered trash talk was part of a more general pattern of insult talk

that they used with their friends in a number of settings. Earlier studies had demonstrated that

insult talk occurs in settings as varied as offices (Cohn, 1993), industry (Collinson, 1988), and

fraternities (Boswell & Spade, 1996), and Eveslage and Delany concluded that trash talk in sports

is an extension of insult talk and not a product of inner-city culture or modeling by professional

athletes.
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In the most detailed examination of trash talk to date, Rainey and Granito (2010) surveyed

over 400 college athletes about their experiences with trash talk. The athletes reported that they

used trash talk and were the victims of trash talk in about one-third of their competitions. Male

athletes reported more trash talk experiences than female athletes. The most common forms of

trash talk were getting ugly (swearing at opponents and calling them names) and belittling the

skills and athleticism of their opponents. Athletes reported that they used trash talk to motivate

themselves and to impair the motivation and performance of their opponents. Contradicting the

belief that young athletes learn how to trash talk by observing professional athletes, these collegiate

athletes indicated that they learned how to trash talk primarily from older teammates and

opponents. Based on these findings, Rainey and Granito concluded that there are normative rules

among college athletes favoring trash talk, and that the rules vary by gender, sport, and level of

competition.

Meanwhile, on the study of Conmy (2008), Trash talk in a competitive setting: Impact on

Self Efficacy, Affect and Performance, wherein the experimental design utilized in this study

tested the phenomenon of trash talk as the pivotal component under investigation. Madden™ NFL

08 Football video-game players (N = 40; Mean age = 20.68, SD = 2.00) were randomly assigned

to two conditions in which they participated in two games of Madden™ NFL 08 Football. In the

first condition, Silent-Talk players conducted their first game in complete silence, and in the

second game, players were permitted to trash talk. This scenario was reversed for condition two

(Talk-Silent), players being permitted to talk in the first game, and enforced to be silent for game

two. All players in the study completed 5 separate measures for; Madden™ NFL 08 Football Self-

Efficacy, Positive Affect (PA), and Negative Affect (NA). Players also completed a short trash
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talk survey and made two specific choices prior to a hypothetical “Game 3” which was never

played. Choices were related to a player’s ability to talk or remain silent, and whether to permit

their opponent to talk or to enforce them to remain silent in “Game 3.”

Measurements were taken immediately prior to each game played, after players had

received their instructions for the game (Talk or Silence), immediately after games 1 and 2 had

been played, and finally before the hypothetical “Game 3,” which was not played. Results

confirmed that the ability and freedom to trash talk in a competitive setting is considered extremely

important by Madden™ NFL 08 video-game players. Players were adamant that trash talking was

a motivational tool, which they used when competing in the game; almost all (95%) players

admitted to using trash talk in physical sports environments outside the milieu of computer gaming.
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Theoretical Framework

The literature, studies and concepts discussed provide the bases for this study. Moreover,

the study will follow the General Aggression Model, Speech Code Theory, and Symbolic

Convergence Theory.

According to the General Aggression Model, people exposed to highly violent video games

are more likely to exhibit aggressive cognitions and beliefs (Anderson & Bushman, 2002).

Aggression is defined as any behaviour directed toward another individual carried out with the

proximate internet to cause harm (Anderson & Bushman, 2002). Aggression is affected by

personality variables (e.g., self control) and situational variables (e.g., media exposure to violence).

People with personality traits such as neuroticism, depression, and low self control are believed to

be more susceptible to developing aggressive behaviour (Jones, Miller, &Lynam, 2009; Teng&

Liu, 2013; Verona, Patrick, & Lang, 2002).

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The model shows how repeated life experiences of a variety of kinds can lead to the

development of an aggressive personality. It shows how the General Aggression Model can be

used to understand and predict effects of DOTA gaming on the development of aggressive

behavior and aggressive personality. This was used as a guide to know the impact of playing DotA

to the gamers.

On the other hand, Speech Code Theory is a historically enacted socially constructed

system of terms, meanings, premises, and rules, pertaining to communicative conduct." This

theory seeks to answer questions about the existence of speech codes, their substance, the way they

can be discovered, and their force upon people within a culture" (Griffin, 2005).

Symbolic Convergence Theory was also used to explain the appearance of the

group’s cohesiveness, consisting of shared emotions, meanings and motives. This deals with the

general human tendency to interpret and give meaning on the signs and symbols (Infante, Rancer,

2010).
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METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design used by the researcher, the study locale and

population, data gathering procedure, and analytical tools.

Research Design

The study used a qualitative research that focused on the trash talks by Ilocano DotA

gamers. It is done through observation and a focus group discussion. The observation was done

for three days each participant. On the other hand, focus group discussion was done only for the

selected players while interview was done to those who was not available.

Locale of the Study

The study has been conducted in selected computer shops in the two cities of Ilocos Norte:

the City of Batac and Laoag City. The shops were selected because of the number of gamers as

well as the length of time it is open.

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Population and Sample

Participants were 12 Ilocano DotA players (seven males, five females), two from the seven

males were young players (grade school pupils). Five of the players were from the Laoag City and

the seven players were playing in the City of Batac.

Research Instrument

An interview schedule was used in gathering information from the respondents. Part 1

covered the personal profile of the DotA/DotA2 players. Part 2 covered the player’s perceptions

on trash talking among the Ilocano dota players.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher undertook the following procedures in the study.

Preliminary. The researcher observed the gaming behavior of the selected players

focusing on their trash talk. Her first observation was her way to choose here possible participants

in the study.

Asking Target Participants’ Consent. After conducting an observation, the researcher

asked for the DotA players permission toparticipate.

Observation and Recording. As the DotA players signified their interest to be part of the

study, the researcher observed each player for three days. Recording all the trash talks heard during

the game and print screening the conversation of the players in their chat were done.
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Interview. The researcher conducted an interview to all the participants about their

experience in playing the said game and verified her observations which clarified her

understanding about the phenomenon.

Focus Group Discussion. The male and female participants had some differences on how

they use the trash talks that’s why the researcher conducted an focus group discussion to discussed

each other’s opinion regarding the use and the effect of trash talking to them.

Data Analysis

After the data was gathered ,the researcher tabulated, analyzed, and organized the answers

that she got from the DotA participants. The trash talks used were tabulated using the frequency

count and percentage. Meanwhile, the responses she collected in the interview phase and focus

group discussion were analyzed and organized by the researcher according to themes.
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Results and Discussion

This chapter presents the analysis and interpretation of the trash talks used by Ilocano DotA

gamers, the reasons of using trash talk and its perceived effects.

Table 1

Profile of the Participants

Participants Sex Age Length of Playing DoTa

P1 M 9 8 months

P2 M 11 1 yr & 6 mos.

P3 M 16 1 yr & 3 mos.

P4 F 18 4 yrs & 8 mos.

P5 M 19 8 yrs & 10 mos.

P6 F 19 9 yrs & 2 mos

P7 F 20 4yrs & 9 mos.

P8 M 20 7 yrs & 5 mos.

P9 F 22 3 yrs & 9 mos.

P10 F 22 4 yrs & 3 mos.

P11 M 24 12 yrs & 3 mos.

P12 M 25 11 yrs
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Table 1 shows the profile of the DotA participants Among the 12 players there are 5 aged

17-20 years old, 4 belongs to the aged 21-25, 2 aged 9-12 years old and 1 to 13-16 years old. This

means that most of the players are in college.

Players whose ages belong to the range 9-16 years old were playing DotA and DotA2 for

6-18 months now. Meanwhile, since most of them were college students, they play DotA and

DoTa2 during their vacant periods. Most of them play in the evening for an average of 3-6 hours.

While the two eldest participants play the game on weekends due to their jobs. Those players who

are in college and have works play the game not less than for three years now.

Moreover, in terms of sex distribution, it is dominated by 7 male participants while the

remaining participants are five females.

Trash Talking by DOTA Gamers

Trash talking has been already part of playing DOTA. Many players said that playing the

game has never been fun without trash talking. Rayo (2010) stated that there are two means of

trash talking: either verbally or through the game itself (by chatting) while on a play.

Moreover, according to Rainey and Granito (2010) there are four types of trash talk which

they identified in the sport sciences literature these are belittling the skills, belittling the courage

or toughness, demeaning the sexuality and sexual orientation and getting ugly (swearing or calling

names with an opponent).

Table 2
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Spoken Trash talks by DotA Gamers

Belittling the Courage Demeaning Sexuality

Belittling the Skills or Toughness or Sexual Orientation Getting Ugly
1. Nagdakeska

1. Bobo 1. Molengs 1. Ninamon! ket

2. Tanga 2. Yawa 2. Yot/Yoh 2. Lusngi

3. Shit 3. Oh? Tapos? 3. Fuck You 3. Ay Hayop!

4. Butaw 4. Anan? 4. WTF! 4. Taeka met!

5. Buisit 5. Imba 5. Peste

6. Malas 6. Galing Oh! 6. Panget

7. Leche 7. Ulol

8. Laglag 8. Padam Laglag!

9. Gago/Gaga/Gasho 9. Tarantado

10. Duldog 10. Dika agay-ayamen!

11. Torpe 11. Pikon Sye

12. Usarem man

12. Feeling Pro matam

13. Noob 13. Talagaaa?

14. Bano 14. Awwww

15. Muno 15. Bitch

16. Siak la kuman 16. Shut Up Idiot!

17. Idiot 17. NaColumbia!

 28

18. Hooo

19. Boooo

20. Woww!

Table 2 shows the spoken trash talks used by the Ilokano DOTA players. Words such as

yot/yoh, ninam/ukinam, and bobo are the most used trash talks by the participants.

The word yot/yoh which is an Ilokano term for fuck dominated the verbal trash talk of the

participants which is uttered for 224 times. Yot/yoh was frequently heard to some Ilokanos which

they used to end a sentence. While ninam/ukinnam (104 times) is a swear word which literally

means “your mother is a whore”. Both yot/yoh and ninam/ukinam were under demeaning sexuality

or sexual orientation. Moreover, bobo tagalong translation for stupid was the third most used trash

talk which is spoken for 98 times, this is under belittling the skills of a player.

Table 3

Typed Trash talks by DotA Gamers

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Belittling the Courage Demeaning Sexuality or

Belittling the Skills or Toughness Sexual Orientation Getting Ugly
1. Bobo 1. Ohhh? 1. Ninamon/Ukinam 1. Animalka!

2. Tanga 2. Basolmo manen yot! 2. Yot 2. Hampaslupa

3. Shit 3. Pakpakatawakan sa! 3. Fuck You 3. Ulopong!

4. Butaw 4. Yawa 4. WTF! 4. Squatter

5. Buisit 5. Pakanglaingka manen 5. Mother Fucker 5. Hinayupak

6. Malas 6. Anan? 6. Ay pota! 6. Peste!

7. Lache 7. Agawidkan! 7. Suck my dick! 7. Tae

8. Laglag 8. Pambata Hero ay pota 8. Big penis huh! 8. Panget!

9. Gago/Gaga 9. Imba 9. Ukim pay!

10. Duldog 10. WTH! 10. Fucking Freaking Idiot

11. Siak la kuman 11. Aral muna! 11. Tang inang yan!

12. Torpe 12. Ulol

13. Feeling Pro 13. Unang Tanga

14. Noob 14. Aglolka lattan

15. Bano 15. Awan makunakon oh

16. Lakom Utak

mon Brad! Brand 16.2016’’n umado man

New. dagitay bobo’n

17. Sablay Pota! 17. Wait for you to lose!

18. Jelly fish awan pay

18. Alisto ah! utakna

 30

19. Tarantado

20. Mr. Giveaway, Syet!

21. Quit na Gago

25.Thank you sa

kabobohan mo!

26. Baby Hero Idiot

27. Nabuhay ka pa.

28. Palamunin ampota!

29. Shame on you!

30. Retarded Grabe.

31. Bitch

32. Blamer Spotted

33. NaColumbia

34. Uwi na lang Oh!

35. Use your Head!

Table 3shows the typed rash talks used by the Ilokano DOTA gamers. Words such as noob,

anan?, ulol and imba are the most used trash talk by the participants in their chat.

Noob which is under belittling the skills is the most used trash talk in chat with 276 times.

This is a term for a newbie, especially a person who is new to an online community and whose

online participation and interactions display a lack of skill or knowledge. Anan? Is sarcastically
 31

used by a player to ask their teammates to have a better gameplay. ulol means crazy and imba is

used when someone is overpowering the game that makes it unfair. Imba is also used as an

adjective when the player runs out of words to describe something. Anan, Ulol and imba are all

under belittling the courage and toughness with 225, 189, and 187 times used in the game play

respectively.

Table 4

Distribution of Trash talks by DOTA Gamers

Types of Trash talk Spoken Typed

F % F %

Belittling the Skills 740 42. 75 1086 45.17

Belittling the Courage or Toughness 325 18. 78 678 28.20

Demeaning Sexuality Or Sexual

Orientation 537 31. 02 428 17.80

Getting Ugly 129 7. 45 212 8.82

Table 4 shows the distribution of spoken and typed trash talks by DotA Gamers.

a) In verbal communication of Ilokano DOTA gamers, trash talking has been already part

of it. According to Roger, the gamers trash talk verbally because of their excitement or frustration.

Most of the participants used more trash talks when they play on a Local Area Network (LAN)
 32

wherein two gamers can connect by using a LAN cable or by playing with multiple gamers by

using switch.

b) In the chat feature of the game wherein players should discuss their strategy or send a

message to the allies most of the time it becomes a chat conversation with so much trash talks on

to it. This is because when a hero controlled by a player dies, it has certain time to respawn; players

use this time to say sorry to his teammates or to blame his teammates of lack of support. Thus, this

could be the start of their exchanging trash talks. Meanwhile Rayo (2010) stated that being a

Filipino, we tend to blame other people because they failed to do a certain task. Generally, the chat

feature of DOTA has good features and should be used wisely.

Trash talks by Sex

Table 5

Spoken Trash Talks by Female Participants

 33

Belittling the Belittling the Courage or Demeaning Sexuality Getting Ugly

Skills Toughness or Sexual Orientation (Swear Words)
1. Bobo 1. Talagaaaa? 1. Ukinam 1. Panget

2. Tanga 2. Ohhh? Tapos? 2. Yot 2. Tae met

3. Shit 3. Anan? 3. WTF

4. Buiset 4. Bitch

5. Gago/Gagi 5. Shut up Idiot

6. Nalduldog 6. NaColumbia ampota!

7. Idiot 7. AWWW!

8. HOOO!

9. BOOOOO!

10. WOWW! Pwe.

11. Ulol

Table 5 shows that in the Spoken trash talks by Female Players they use more trash talks

on Belittling the Courage or Toughness of their opponents. Most of these were uttered in a

prolonged manner like “BOOOOO”, “HOOOO”, “AWWWW”, “OHHHH?”, “TALAGA?”, and

“WOWWW!”. Wherein booo and hooo is used to hiss the player’s performance, awww and wow

are to express disappointment or surprise, and ohhh?and talagaaa? to show disagreement.

According to P6, players use these kinds of trash talk because the delivery may sounds

more offensive. P6 also stated that they limit their trash talks in verbal communication because

they are in a computer shop which is considered as a public place and it is not proper to see or hear
 34

a girl who speaks so much of it. This shows that the Female DotA players’ control in trash talking.

However, female players (P4, P6, P7, P9, and P10) confess that verbal trash talking still occur by

them, but they consider their location.

Table 6.

Typed Trash Talks by Female Participants

Belittling the Belittling the Courage Demeaning Sexuality or Getting Ugly

Skills or Toughness Sexual Orientation (Swear Words)
1. Bobo 1. Imba 1. Ukinam 1. Tae

2. Tanga 2. Bitch 2. Ukim pay! 2. Ay ampanget!

3. Shit 3. Blamer Spotted! 3. Yot

4. Buiset 4. Nacolumbia! 4. The Fuck!

5. Gago/Gagi 5. Anan? 5. Tang-inang yan!

6. Noob 6. HOOOO! 6. Fucking Freaking Idiot

7. Ulol 7. Ay yawa! 7. WTF!

8. Alisto ah! 8. Uwi na lang oh!

9. Use your head!

Table 6 shows that female players they trash talks more on belittling the courage or

toughness of opponents but different words or phrases are being used. The results also show that

in conversations female players. It doubled the contents of trash talks used under Demeaning
 35

Sexuality or Sexual Orientation compared of that in their Verbal communication. As what P6

stated they minimize the words they speak. Thus, the table reveals that the female participants use

more trash talks in chat because their opponents do not know their identity; hence, boosting their

confidence to freely speak words they want to.

Table 7

Spoken Trash Talks by Male Participants

Belittling the Courage Demeaning Sexuality or Getting Ugly

Belittling the Skills or Toughness Sexual Orientation (Swear Words)
1. Bobo 1. Torpe 1. Ninamom 1. Panget oh

2. Tanga 2. Ohhhh? 2. Yot 2. Ay hayop

3. Shit 3. Yawa 3. Fuck You 3. Taeka!

4. Butaw 4. Tapos? 4. The Fuck! 4. Peste

5. Buiset 5. Anan? 5. WTF!

6. Malas 6. Imba! 6. Ay pota!

7. Leche 7. Galing Oh

8. Laglag 8. Ulolka

9. Gago/ Gunggung 9. Padam laglag!

10.Duldog 10. Tarantado

11. Molengs 11. Dika agay-ayamen

 36

12. Feeling Pro 12. Pikon Syet

13. Noob 13. Quit na Gago

14. Bano 14. Usaremman ulom

15. Muno

On the other hand, table 7 shows that male DotA players trash talk in their verbal

communication. Belittling the skills and belittling the courage or toughness of their opponents as

the highest. The words bobo, tanga, shit are the most commonly used trash talks under belittling

the skills, bobo and tanga means stupid or a person who lacks on intelligence and have no common

sense, while shit means a worthless person. Meanwhile, anan? ulolka, and imba are the most

used on belittling the courage or toughness.

Table 8

Typed Trash Talks by Dota Gamers

Belittling the Courage or Demeaning Sexuality Getting Ugly

Belittling the Skills Toughness or Sexual Orientation (Swear Words)
1. Bobo 1. Ohhhh? 1. Ninamon! 1. Animalka!

2. Tanga 2. Basolmo manen yo! 2. Yot 2. Hampaslupa

3. Shit 3. Pakpakatawakan sa!? 3. Fuck You 3. Ulopong!

4. Butaw 4. Yawa 4. WTF! 4. Squatter

 37

5. Buiset 5. Pakanglaing manen! 5. Mother Fucker 5. Hinayupak

6. Malas 6. Anan? 6. Ay pota! 6. Peste!

7. Leche 7. Agawidkan! 7. Suck my dick!

8. Laglag 8. Pambata hero oh! 8. Big penis huh!

9. Gago/ Gunggung 9. Imba

10.Duldog 10. WTH!

11. Siak la kuman! 11. Aral muna!

12. Torpe 12. Ulol

13. Feeling Pro 13. Unang Tanga

14. Noob 14. Aglolka lattan

15. Bano 15. Awan makunakon oh

16. Lakom utakmon 16. 2016’’n umado man

brad, di pay nausar dagitay bobo’n

17. Sablay pota! 17. Wait for you to lose!

18. Jelly fish awan pay

utakna

19. Tarantado

20. Mr. Giveaway, Syet!

21. Quit na Gago

25. Thank you sa

kabobohan!
 38

26. Baby Hero Idiot

27. Nabuhay ka pa.

28. Palamunin ampota!

29. Shame on you!

30. Retarded Grabe.

Table 8 shows that in the four themes of trash talks, the number of contents had all

increased in the chat conversation of male DotA gamers. Three different languages: English,

Tagalog, and Ilocano were used by the players because according to P12 most of their opponents

were from other places. Hence, the language they use may also change.

Trash talk contents under belittling the courage or toughness increased with 50 % in the

chat conversation of the male participants. Like on the verbal communication of the male DotA

players, anan?, ulol, and imbaare the most used words in the belittling the ourage or toughness.

Wherein noob dominates the chat of the players for it was used most of the time in their game play.

Xairylle (2014) said that Filipinos are known to be noob players but does not mean that they are

new to the game indeed; some just play the game like they are.

Table 9

Spoken Trash Talks vs Typed Trash Talks

Sex B.S. BC or BT DS or SO GU TOTAL %

 39

Spoken 529 182 286 58 1055 25.51

Male

Typed 703 461 312 108 1584 38.28

Spoken 211 143 251 71 676 16.34

Female

Typed 383 217 116 104 820 19.83

Table 9 shows that Male DotA gamers used more trash talks than of the female DotA

players both in their Verbal Communication and Chat Conversation. I the Verbal Communication

male participants used ore trash talks than of the females with 25.80 % higher and 40.22 % higher

in the Chat Conversation.

The data suggest that a number of variables may influence the use of trash talk. In

examining the Role of gender, there were indications that male dota players were more prominent

in engaging trash talk in this sample. It is reported that males consistently doubling or tripling the

numbers of trash talks they use compared to females. These results are consistent with Silva’s

(1983) findings that males are more accepting of rule breaking behaviors.

Indeed, Rainey (2010), is correct that it is even possible that female athletes, with their

shorter history of athletic competition, are still catching up with males and might ultimately trash

talk just as much.

 40

Reasons for Trash talking by DOTA Gamers

The study explored the intention to use trash talks by DotA/DotA 2 gamers. Several reasons

were stated by the participants to why they trash talk when playing the game.

To Motivate

For the DotA participants trash talking is used to motivate their teammates in a way that

they encourage them to exert more effort in playing the game.

“Alistwam man ngamit yot! Back back nam met! nalduldogka nakabaybayagka nga

aggaraw brad!”

Phrases like these were considered by the gamers as a toll to make the other realize that

they need more practice. Thus, this helps to awaken their teammate’s mind in order for them to

make a better move and play a faster action in attacking their opponents.

To Intimidate

Moreover, other players considered trash talking as a form of intimidation to which they

use trash talking to piss off the other team’s players.

Naglaglagka brad! Hahaha! Mabalinmo ilako utakmon! Brand new! Lol di pay naususar!

This is used by the players by intimidating their opponent. Also Wooowww! Hooooo! Awwww!

Yohooooo! Ay yot! are used by the other teams to make fun of their opponent which may hinder

the focus on opponent’s performance.

 41

It’s part of the Game

But for other players, trash talking for them is only part of the game. Because this gives an

excitement to the play. They use insulting words for them to make fun of their teammates indeed,

that is already normal because they were friends to each other’s and they know each other’s.

Aygago! Aral aral nga haha! Pakpakitam manen dika nagbasa gunggung! Use your head

brader! HAhaha. These kinds of trash talks for them is normal and because they understand that

it is necessary to trash talk when playing DotA.

The findings revealed that the online gamers trash talkbecause of three main reasons (a) to

motivate themselves/teammates, (b) to intimidate their opponents/teammates and (c) trash talking

is part of the game.

The first revolves around the players themselves/teammates performing trash talk as a

motivator. According to P9 they trash talks because they want to boost themselves. Furthermore,

participants believed that trash talking was a tool for motivation which is similar to the study

conducted by Conmy et. Al, (2013), wherein trash talk is used to motivate when competing on a

physical or virtual sports environment like on video games.

Intimidation is also one of those main reasons why the participants trash talk. Intimidation

is involved saying things to unnerve opponents, either verbally or non verbally. One example

comes from a female participant saying “ Shut up, kaslaka lang nalaing”. Players used
 42

intimidating words in order to piss off the other players or their opponents for them to break their

performance.

Meanwhile, other participants had stated that trash talking when playing Dota is all part of

the game. P3, a male participant said that he trash talk but with no other meanings because this is

how they play the game already. This is related to Randle’s (2014) statement that trash talking is

a fundamental part of online gaming. He also added that when they talk trash, it can get comical.

It can even get serious at times., but when the game ends, they shake hands and it's over.

Furthermore, it has been observed that young gamers of DoTA/DoTA2 used more trash

talks than of those who are in college or plays the game with longer period. These data suggest

that by the time the players are more experience with the game they attained a level of normative

acceptance on the rules of the sport.

According General Aggression Model, people exposed to highly violent video games are

more likely to exhibit aggressive cognitions and beliefs (Anderson & Bushman, 2002). This is why

Ilocano DOTA gamers trash talks and show some different behaviour when playing

DOTA/DOTA2.

On a Speech Code Theory by Griffin (2005), wherein it seeks to answer the questions about

the existence of speech codes, their substance, the way they can be discovered, and their force

upon people within a culture is historically enacted socially constructed system of terms,

meanings, premises, and rules, pertaining to communicative conduct. The Ilocano dota participants

answer why such words/ trash talks exist.

 43

On this, Symbolic Convergence Theory was used to explain the appearance of the group’s

cohesiveness, consisting of shared emotions, meanings, and motives. This deals with the general

human tendency to interpret and give meaning on the signs and symbols (Infante, Rancer, 2010).

Moreover, different reasons were stated and different opinion had been said. Indeed, they

only have all one goal and that is to win the game. This suggests that the ultimate motivation for

trash talk is to gain a competitive advantage.

How Trash Talking Affect the Playing of DOTA Gamers

When the gamers trash talks when playing DOTA, they are also exposed to its

consequences either advantageous or disadvantageous. This point, the paper will discuss on how

the players are being affected when the player uses trash talk when on a game.

As I spent 30 days collecting data by observing and interviewing the dota participants. I’ve

witness the importance of trash talking in playing the game by the players. It has been patently

obvious when I observed the game play of the Ilocano dota participants. Although they were aware

that they were participating in my study they could not be sure that the individual they were playing

was psychologically sound, and might not turn around and punch them if they used controversial

trash talk. They can’t help themselves but to use it.

 44

“Agsaonak met dakes ngem saanna kayat a saw-en makiapappanak. Pagsasaok la nuka

ketdi detan. Awan met kayatna a saw-en ket. Kanayunnak agsao madi nu agay-ayamnak ngem

saan met nga dakes. Iso madi met maapektaran ti pinagay-ayamko nuka. Maawatak met suda no

apay.”

For some participants trash talking to them does not cause any distractions with their game

because they also use trash talks. Thus, they accept what their teammates or opponents tell around

them. Also, sometimes trash talking makes a better game.

“I think when we trash talk sometimes it gives us more motivation so it creates an exciting

game to which makes a better play. Mas maikkan noka ti thrill yung game nu kasjay eh.

Addadagitay katawaan ka, adda met dagitay masuron.”

Yes, others have a different opinion about it. Other participants stated that trash talking

when playing the game has an impact.

“it affects because sometimes I get offended and can’t continue playing the game with my

full focus”

“well, it’s okay to trash talk pag nanalo ka na. Kase way ‘yon ng pagpapakita ng

excitement but, if you trash talk just when you started the game madami ang naapektuhan kase

nakakairita din pakinggan”

 45

Sometimes, it loses control to the players because they hate how they hear it. They hate

how they were being distracted with those kinds of sounds and hate how they read those comments

on their chat on which suppose they should share some thoughts on how they make a better play.

These shows that trash talking affects depending on how the flow of the game goes. Yes,

many of them mentioned it has an effect and more serious impact is what I’ve witnesses when I’m

conducting the study.

I think we all know that many Filipinos are fond of gambling and betting players in the

world of sports, so as playing of DOTA. Some teams must have to dominate the other team to

earn money. Usually the gambling involves the players of the game and those of their viewers. So

as I watched their game, this one is more of using trash talks.

Player 1: Nalduldog ka mettern, GG tanga alisto. Atack!

Participant 1: Back back nam met. Ay yot awanen.

Player 2: Awan manen ah neh! Agpakanglaing manen yot!

Viewer: ket ana kuemon?!! Attack a met neh. Bantayam dijay bangir!

Viewer: Hoy neh back. Paspas. Awan na.

Participant 1: Ket sika la koma nagay-ayamen ah neh.

The conversation goes like that and it starts a more serious play and make the other players

couldn’t control of themselves on how they get irritated.

 46

Player 3: Agpakanglaingka met neh sika!

Player 2: Kitam ta bangir met a yot!

Player 3: Gago! Alisto duldog!

Participant 1: Saommet tanga! Dim man nam met gunging!

Player 2: ktam man ngamin ah neh! Move move!

Viewer: ATTACK’nnakan neh!

Player 2: Dakay kuman!!!! Bobo!

Participant 1: Ilakom man latta ngaruden ta utakmo brad! Di pay nausar neh brand new!

The game was full of trash talks and I get confused how they could make a good play if

they were acting like that. They were being so noisy as if they own the shop. They exchange trash

talks and they don’t care how they hurt their other players gaming.

As they continue trash talking when playing the game. Player 2 gets more offended and I

think he wanted to end the game already as possible. So what he has done was to attack slowly

and let the other players play the way they use to be.

Adda kenka detan ngem ti panagtrash talk iso mangpangabak kanyami kase mas

mamotivate kami. Depende ngamin dayta no kasanom nga usaren. Well, iso pay talaga

mangpangabak kanyami kase adda instances other teams mairitada nu agsisinnaoda iti

dakes.Agsaokami, sungbatandakami, ngem agtinnag suda nga agkakadwa agbibinnusor.

 47

Thus, because of that kind of behaviour, the other players have been irritated and offended.

Indeed, others couldn’t see anything wrong when it comes to trash talking. For them, it’s normal

and should accept it.

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION and RECOMMENDATION

This paper actually presents on what are the trash talks used by Ilokano DOTA gamers, on

what are the reasons why they uses it and to how they get influenced or affect them when they on

a play.

The result of the observation shows that the DOTA gamers used more trash talks in their

chat than of their verbal communication both of the male and female participants. And that trash

talks may vary depending on the gender or the level of the competition. Together the results

suggest that trash talk is a normative behaviour among DOTA gamers because many use it as their

motivator.

Meanwhile, it’s likely that the dota gamers engage in trash talk for a variety of reasons,

they frequently do it to gain a competitive advantage, and it is appropriate to be concerned about

the implications and consequences of such a strategy.

Some interviews and the gambling session I have witnessed shows that trash talking in the

game may result to a better and more exciting play or maybe you get offended and irritated. Indeed,

this depends on how you take trash talks to you.

 48

However, the conclusions in the study have to be tentative because there were limitations

on the sample. Though conducting a phenomenological study limits only the participants to make

this. Also, it is possible that the procedure may have a biased response from the participants.

Because the behaviour of the some gamers may have influenced the data since they know that they

are participating on my experimentation on the study.

Future research on trash talk could take a number of directions. Clearly, surveys of larger

and more representative samples of athletes are necessary to evaluate the reliability and generality

of the current findings.