درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

This research explores gender differences in motivations and gratifications related to playing video games such as The Sims. We analyzed both men’ and women’ differences in game related motivations and gratifications to identify which factors make a game more gratifying for a specific gender of players. We conducted in-depth interviews with 18 male players and 20 female players of The Sims. We also analyzed online forums of The Sims. We found that main gratifying factors related to game-playing experience include appearance, character, storyline, control and complexity, fantasy and social interaction. The findings propose that game researchers with the uses and gratifications theoretical framework should consider the importance of including game features as gratifying factors in their questionnaires. Finally, we have provided implications for future research about gender differences in motivations and gratifications based on uses and gratifications theory.

Purpose: While it is true that concern should be expressed with the incessant conflicts in Africa, it is also true that the ramifications are very wide. One recurring conflict in the 1990s Nigeria’s educational institutions is the conflict generated among rival cult groups that seemed to defy solution. Several students and, in some cases, lecturers have lost their lives yet there seems to be no end to these killings which seem to occur unexpectedly. Methodology: Applying a sub-cultural group theory, this article analyzed the prevalent factor responsible of this phenomenon. Starting with the analysis of the relations between what it takes to survive in Nigeria and the emergence of violence on campuses of institutions of higher learning, the article suggests that the failure of higher institutions to effectively perform its integrative role, thereby becoming a space for delinquent gang groups, may be connected to failed economic policies. Findings: it argues that it may not be totally true to call the various students groups involved in the on-campus conflict ‘cult’ as their activities and rituals are devoid of any spiritual or religious elements but more about contestations about space and survival. It concludes by suggesting some probable solutions. Conclusion: the educational institution needs to rethink the curricula in relation to the survival of the society wherein what is taught is not based on ‘individualistic but communal virtues.

Purpose: The present study was conducted to model the problems of the system of recruitment, retention and training of human resources by the mixed exploratory research method. Methodology: The statistical population of the qualitative part included a number of experts including the senior managers of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) and human resource management professors in higher education centers; and employees of the NIORDC (Sari) and Iranian Oil Pipelines and Telecommunication Company (IOPTC) (North) in the quantitative part, n= 835 (789 men and 46 women). In the qualitative part, by the snowball sampling method, 20 people, and in the quantitative part, by relative stratified sampling method based on Cochran's formula, 263 people were selected as the statistical sample. In the qualitative part, the data were extracted by the Delphi technique and semi-structured and structured questionnaires; and the 120-item researcher-made questionnaires in the quantitative part and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. The content and construct validity of the questionnaires was confirmed. Reliability and composite reliability (CR) were also confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient 84%. Descriptive statistics (mean, variance, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Friedman test) were used for data analysis. Findings: The results showed that the model of problems of the system of recruitment, retention and training of human resources has 6 organizational (internal), environmental (external), occupational, individual (personal), governmental (political) and cultural-social dimensions and 30 components. Conclusion: The results of the quantitative part showed that all dimensions of the research model were confirmed.

Purpose: News media play an important role in attitudes towards various issues, including wearing hijab and its removal. As a result, this paper aimed to compare the news coverage of hijab removal in the news media. Methodology: This study was applied in terms of purpose and quantitative in terms of execution method. The research population was the hijab removal news in the news media of Entekhab (reformist), Fars (fundamentalist), Khabar Online (moderate), BBC Persian Television (affiliated with the United Kingdom) and Voice of America (affiliated with the United states of America) during 2017 and 2018, which were selected through the total population sampling method. The research tool was to observe and record the news of the hijab removal in Persian news media or the Persian section of foreign news media, and the face validity of the information was confirmed by the opinion of experts and its reliability was obtained 0.89 by the inter-coder agreement method. Finally, the data were analyzed with non-parametric chi-square test in SPSS-20. Findings: Results showed that there was a significant difference between Entekhab, Fars, Khabar Online, BBC Persian Television and Voice of America in terms of amount of news, news style, news value, news source, news bias and news type (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the five mentioned media in terms of the headline type (P>0.05). In other words, in terms of the amount of news about the hijab removal, Fars, Khabar Online, BBC Persian Television, Entekhab and Voice of America reported the most news. In terms of news style, Entekhab, Fars, Khabar Online and Voice of America used mostly news style and BBC Persian Television used mostly report style. Also, in terms of news value, Entekhab, BBC Persian Television and Voice of America used encountering value, Fars used the proximity value and Khabar Online used mostly two values of encountering and reputation. In terms of the news source, Entekhab and Fars used the media reporter’s source more, Khabar Online used the domestic news agencies more, BBC and Voice of America used the unknown source frequently. In addition, in terms of the news bias, Entekhab, Fars and Khabar Online used the bias of condemning the event, the BBC used the neutral bias and the Voice of America used the bias of sympathy and support for the event more frequently. In terms of the type of news, Entekhab, Fars and Voice of America mostly used the event-oriented type, and the Khabar Online and BBC Persian Television mostly used the process-oriented type. On the other hand, in terms of the type of headlines, Entekhab, Fars, Khabar Online, BBC Persian Television and Voice of America used more inferential headlines and there was no significant difference among them. Conclusion: The results showed that BBC Persian Television and Voice of America had a more positive view on the phenomenon of hijab removal and mostly reported the news from unknown news sources. The results indicated that the aforementioned news media are harmful to families in terms of the phenomenon of hijab removal.