THE INFLUENCE OF TRASH-TALKING IN TEAM SYNERGY AND GAMEPLAY OF

THE CYBERSHARKS E-SPORTS COMMUNITY ON THE

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

___________

A Thesis Proposal
Presented to
the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences
University of Northern Philippines
Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

___________

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Arts in Communication

____________

By

Jan Patrick Galiste

Kennedy R. Jetajobe
Al Q. Palomas

2022
 Chapter I
THE PROBLEM

Introduction

Our lives were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and boundaries of

socialization, including physical sports, vanished. At least briefly. As people holed down at

home and sought for new opportunities for employment, education, and (obviously) recreation,

one sport—competitive video gaming, or esports—emerged possibly stronger than ever. This

industry is finding refuge online, and several significant competitions have adopted an online-

only model. Numerous platforms allow viewers to view gamers in action live.

The virtual sporting world is expanding and coming to life as the real one remains uncomfortably

quiet. For the reality, esports have been popular for quite some time.

Esports is a digital-age phenomena. It is for Millennials and Generation Z what football,

basketball, and volleyball have been to previous generations for years. It's a chance for followers,

gamers, and economic stakeholders, and it's now a viable professional option for many young

people.

Simply described, esports involves competitive video games performed in a highly structured

arena. Such games can vary from well-known, collaborative online multiplayer arenas (MOBAs)

to single-player first-person snipers, survival battle royales, and digital recreations of traditional

sports.

A number of new social trends have begun to be created and controlled by the young adult

demographic, which is why this genre of video games is becoming more popular. A fundamental
alteration in youths' structural relationship with games is particularly crucial to this shift.

Traditional sports are losing popularity, while esports are gaining enormously. A semi circuit

exists for practically all of the most popular video games now available due to the boom.

Nevertheless, there is a standard that has been in the sporting sector for decades and has become

widely acknowledged. It's undoubtedly been referred to as "trash talk".

Having someone openly discuss your life in a disparaging manner might very well have an effect

on your decision to demoralize competitors and encourage teammates, particularly with esports

in its existing iteration where players are getting more and more affected by stress.

Additionally, athletes of all ages and levels of competition, from amateurs to professionals, have

engaged in trash talk (Conmy,2013). Trash talk is associated with sports as a "custom," and

different sportsmen have utilized it in different ways (Conmy.,2013). It's crucial to remember

that coaches and supporters often engage in trash talk, so it's not just athletes (Rainey, 2012).

More scholars have recently looked into the frequency, nature, and educational background of

players who engage in trash talk (Conmy et al., 2013; Rainey & Granito, 2010; Rainey, 2012)

Despite the fact that trash talk has become more prevalent in sports, it is crucial to understand the

variables that motivate sportsmen to use it (LoConto & Roth, 2005; Rainey & Granito, 2010;

Rainey, 2012). However, no in-depth study of the motivations behind players' trash-talking

behavior has been conducted to date. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the causes of trash talk

in the sports sphere in order to better comprehend it.

Recognizing trash-talking is essential for future research and study among esports

organizations in educational institutions.. This study seeks to investigate the trash-talking and it

seeks to enlighten the factors that may affects team communication and gameplay in a certain
esports organization will be defined and measured. Additionally, further research will help

determine the different factors that may affect an esports organization thru the usage of trash-

talking. Previous researchers were only able to conduct their study among players and not on the

professional scope of the esports community. There are few limitations that must be taken into

consideration with the previous study.

Statement of the Problem

The researchers will resolute through the fine-detailed survey questionnaire; the

accumulation of accuracy in determining the effects of trash-talking in a certain e-sports

community, which measures certain variables that are factors in assessing the capabilities of

each members of the organization in terms of communication and team synergy.

This quantitative study expounds the need in understanding the phenomena of Trash-

talking and aims to seek its effect on the Cybersharks E-sports community.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1) What is the profile of the respondents, in terms of the following:

a) Age,

b) Location,

c) Game Category

d) Rank

e) Gaming Experience

f) Internet Stability

g) Course
 2) How is trash-talking manifested in E-Games?

3) The level of the Influence Of Trash -Talking in Team Synergy and Gameplay of the Esports

Organization in terms of the following:

a) Relationship,

b) Cooperation,

c) Motivation/Behavior

d) Technical/ Background Knowledge

e) Gaming Ideals

4) Is there a significant relationship between the profile and the Influence Of Trash -Talking In The

Ability Of The Esports Organization In Executing Team Synergy And Their Actions Or

Gameplay?

Significance of the Study

The purpose of conducting this research was to distinguish the effects of Trash-talking on

the Cybersharks E-sports Community. This study can serve as guidelines in assessing how the

phenomena Trash-talking can affect the Team Synergy and gameplay of players. It can also

provide knowledge among people in the E-sports communicate to inculcate the verifiable truth

that trash-talking although it’s a common practice among players it can affect everyone

especially when it comes to their relationship and communication with one another .

Hence, the researchers believe that this study is significant to the following

Academic and Research Development Institutions, to be a valuable reference for

further and other related studies,

E-sports Community, to provide well-defined information regarding trash-talking and

the importance of good communication among players and associates,

 Players and Athletes, to be knowledgeable in terms of establishing a good relationship

with one another and to be aware of that good communication is the key of establishing unity

and synergy in a multiplayer game arena,

Researchers, to comes-out from their comfort zones and explore the unexplored

experiences that are yet to discover, and further enrich their knowledge in certain communication

gestures and techniques in different fields of sports, and

Future Researchers, this study would help the student researchers to be knowledgeable

of Trash-talking. It would help them to be better analysts and it can serve as a reference for more

studies in the future.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The data collected in this study will come from the members and official players of the

Cybersharks organization. They were the respondents to this study to be able to determine the

effects of trash talking and to assess the extent to which trash talking affects the organization in

terms of team collaboration and gameplay.

The Cybersharks E-sports, an independent and national organization from the University of

Northern Phillipines, is one of the first organizations in Ilocos Sur that was established to

promote the community of electronic sports and moba games, and each and every player was

given a chance to compete in national and international competitions as a team wavering the flag

of the university. Each member is an expert in different electronic and online games like Mobile

Legends, Valorant, League of Legends, PUBG, and Call of Duty, wherein these games are

played in various technologies, and it is important to establish a good relationship and

communication between players since this is a form of a collaborative game.

This study will be limited to a community within the said organization since the focus of the

study will be on an e-sports organization since trash-talking is very relevant in the field of moba

games and in the e-sports community. A descriptive-correlational study focused on the general

demography.

The study will explore the effects of trash-talking and will focus on the following variables that

were selected and will be studied only by the researchers:

This research will be administered under the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of

Northern Philippines during the school year 2022-2023.

Theoretical Framework

This section presents the review of related literature that were relevant studies needed for

the study.The researchers used journals, published materials, internet sources and other reliable

resource that in gathering information that support the study to wider knowledge and

understanding towards the term include within the study.

Conceptual Framework

This section will provide the study’s simplified structure by illustrating the interaction of

different variables in the main topic.

Dependent Variables

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

The level of the Influence Of Trash -
Talking in Team Synergy and
Gameplay of the Esports Organization
PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS in terms of the following:
a) Relationship,
a) Age, b) Cooperation,
b) Location,
c) Motivation/Behavior
c) Game Category
d) Technical/ Background
d) Rank Knowledge
e) Gaming Experience e) Gaming Ideals
f) Internet Stability
g) Course

Manifestation of Trash talking in E-

Games

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

The above mentioned paradigm shows the relationship between the independent variable: age,

location, game category rank, gaming experience, internet stability and course and the awareness

to the dependent variables in terms of the level of the Influence Of Trash -Talking in Team

Synergy and Gameplay of the Esports Organization such as: Relationship Cooperation,

Motivation/Behavior, Technical/ Background Knowledge, Gaming Ideals; and the relationship

between the level of influence and how trash talking is manifested in e-games.

Operational Definition of Terms

In order to present the study with precise simplification and not merely perplexing,

random terminologies are provided below for a profound understanding.

Trash talking. This refers to a disparaging, taunting, or boastful comments especially players

trying to intimidate each other

Game Synergy. It refers when players go really well with one another and help to maximize the

effects of their actions

Team Collaboration. This refers to all members of a sports team having a shared and deeply

imbedded understanding of: team identity, team philosophy, individual roles, and performance

outcome goals.

E-Sports. It refers a segment of the gaming industry fixated on professional levels of

competitive video game play aimed at entertaining viewership, promoting rivalry and elevating

production
Online Games. This refers to games that are played over some form of computer network, most

often the Internet.

MOBA. It refers to refers to games which generally have a very specific set of features in their

gameplay and design. Basically, such titles tend to have a real-time strategy element and revolve

around a fairly simple aim: to compete in a team against opponents and defeat them in a form of

battle.

Virtual Community. This refers to a group of people that rally around a specific game they like.

They can help one another with tips and tricks, commiserate about their favorite plot twists, or

debate the best characters

Assumptions

The researchers consider the following assumptions in the conduct of the study:

1.The Researchers will do their utmost capabilities to finish the research on the right time

2. The data gathering that will be used on this study will be valid, objective and reliable

3. The variables in the research are measurable

4. The Researchers will be gradually respect the decisions and opinions of our dear respondents

5. Results will be valid, reliable, and accepted

6.. Responses and Answers would be honestly given by only the respondents
Hypothesis

The hypothesis was tested 0.05 level of significance in the study that there is a

significant relationship between the profile and the Influence Of Trash -Talking in Team

Synergy and Gameplay of the Esports Organization

Methodology

This part of the study discussed the research design, population, data gathering

procedures, data gathering instruments, and statistical treatment of data which will be utilize in

the conduct of the study.

Research Design. To realize the purpose of this study, the researchers used the descriptive

design using the correlation method The descriptive method was used to describe the

respondents' profile and to gather the information needed for the study. The correlation method

was utilized to determine the significant relationship of the level and difference of the level of

the Influence Of Trash -Talking in Team Synergy and Gameplay of the Cybersharks E-sports.

Population and Sample. The respondents of this study will be the students of the University of

Northern Philippines, and they will be the players who are members of the Cybersharks E-Sports

organization, a nationwide organization that solely focuses on students who are interested in

various electronic games and competing in the field of E-sports. Respondents will be classified

based on their team and the games they represent, which are classified as follows: Mobile

Legends, Wildrift, PUBGM, CODM, and Valorant. The researchers will use cluster sampling by

dividing the population of the esports organizations into different groups based on the game that

they are playing. As a central basis, the respondents shall be selected accordingly based on the

cluster that are in.

 Table 1

Distribution of Population

Game Category Population

Mobile Legends 7

Wildrift 7

PUBGM 10

CODM 7

Valorant 8

Total: 39

Data Gathering Instrument. To acquire the essential data regarding the influence of trash-

talking on team synergy and gameplay of the Cybersharks e-sports community, the researchers

will employ questionnaires. The survey was divided into four sections. Part I asked about the

respondents' personal information, including their age, location, game category rank, gaming

experience, internet stability, and course.

The second part contains the questionnaire, a selection for the respondents to identify their

intensity between perceived effects using a Likert scale of: 5 for Always, 4 for Frequently, 3 for

Sometimes, 2 for Seldom and Lastly 1 for Never to apprehend an accurate composition of the

proposed perceived statements which belong to a subpart signifying five sections, first one will

be a display of an array of statements interpreted by the researchers consisting of 10 statements

regarding Relationship while the second part will be cooperation related aspects which consists
of ten statements. The third part will consist of 10 statements regarding Motivational factors.

The fourth part will consist of 10 statements regarding technical factors. Ten statements about

gaming ideals will make up the final section, which is necessary in its entirety to support the

hypothesis.

In interpreting the level of Influence Of Trash -Talking in Team Synergy and Gameplay of the

Esports Organization, the following norms will be utlilized:

Scale Numerical Rating Item Descriptive Rating Overall Descriptive Rating

5 4.21 - 5.00 Always (A) Very High (VH)
4 3.41 – 4.20 Frequently (F) High (H)
3 2.61 – 3.40 Sometimes (S) Fair (F)
2 1.81 - 2.60 Seldom (S) Low (L)
1 1.00 – 1.80 Never (N) Very Low (VL)

Data Gathering Procedure. The researchers first prepare a questionnaire that which were

validated by experts. In gathering the needed data in the study, the researchers will seek

permission from the Organization Adviser and President of the selected players of the

Cybersharks E-sports

Respondents will be given letter of consent containing the date, place conducted, printed name,

and signature of the willing respondents and indicated below is the signature of the research

adviser.

Handed survey-questionnaires will be equipped before the respondents will answer. The

researchers discussed the directions to refrain failures and inconvenience. Prior to the conduct,
researchers will clarify the purpose of the inquiry, how the findings are detailed and expressed,

what will be the strength of the study towards different institutions in the society.

In constructing the research questions, researchers will manage to inquire different sets of

queries to the informants to strengthen the pillars of the study with their truthful answers. The

researchers will also make sure that the feedbacks will be held confidential.

Ethical Considerations

The respondents will be Cybersharks Esports players, and none of them are connected to or owe

anything to the researcher in any way. The researcher assessed the following evaluation criteria

for ethical considerations, particularly conflict of interest. This study has no sponsors, and it is

being conducted inside a school. All information obtained during and as a result of the study is

kept private and confidential by being stored on a laptop that is password-protected only the

researcher has accessibility to it. To avoid data breaches and unwanted data leakage, the printed

materials and shared copies will be destroyed after the research, and the digital copies of data

will be deleted. An informed consent form that details the study's title, the researcher's name and

contact information, the respondents' voluntary engagement in the study, their rights as survey

participants, and the participation requirements will be given to the respondents. The risks and

advantages of the study were also disclosed to the responders by the researcher. The rights of the

respondents are stated in the informed consent form, as are the restrictions placed on their

voluntarily participating in the study. The study did not require that the vulnerable group

participate. The respondents will be the Cybersharks eSports athletes, who are legitimate

University of the Northern Philippines students. All of the participants in this study who

provided information are of legal age. The study may contain social hazards; respondents may
have felt embarrassed by their lack of some of the questions' answers and may have felt uneasy

responding some of them, however the researcher maintains the privacy of their data. Both

students and teachers become more conscious as a result of the study. This promotes the

development of an environment that is more conducive to learning and a better comprehension of

the eSports industry. In this study, specimen handling will not be necessary.

Statistical Treatment of Data. The following statistical methods will be used to analyze the

study's data in order to precisely quantify the expected outcomes of the research survey.

1. Frequency Count and Percentage. will be used to describe the profile of the respondents.

2.Mean.will be used to determine the level of Influence Of Trash -Talking in Team Synergy and

Gameplay of the Esports Organization

3. Simple Correlational Analysis. will be used to determine the relationship between the profile

of the respondents and the level of Influence Of Trash -Talking in Team Synergy and Gameplay

of the Esports Organization