You’ve heard people say that being a geek makes you more attractive. But are you sure? Regardless of what you think, being a geek can be a great way to boost your self-confidence and make you more attractive. Here are ten ways to show you are a geek.
Taking a picture of a geek during a convention
A recent study by researchers at the University of Georgia has found that geeks have a high rate of neuroticism. Geek culture consists of activities relating to the study of science, technology, creative writing, table top role playing games, and comic books. These media subcultures have grown to become multi-billion dollar industries.
Scientists believe that geeks have a need for belongingness. This is considered a basic human need. In order to meet this need, people seek to join a group. It is also believed that belongingness can be fulfilled through participation in media subcultures.
Researchers conducted several studies to determine if geeks tend to engage in specific media interests and hobbies. First, the researchers analyzed 202 geeks attending the Dragon*Con convention. The participants were asked to complete two pages of surveys. They answered questions about various activities and were given an informed consent form to sign. After completing the survey, they were approached in downtown Atlanta, GA and asked to take pictures. Those photos were then rated by a team of raters.
Participants were rated on their appearance, geek culture, and genres. Five raters were trained on geek culture and five raters were trained on genres. Each rater was instructed to evaluate the photo on a scale of 1 to 5.
Participants were also rated for their subjective well-being and depression. These variables were not found to predict geek engagement. However, the results showed that gender, extraversion, and grandiose narcissism were associated with geek culture.
Using this information, the researchers constructed the first-ever Geek Culture Engagement Scale (SES). This new scale was developed to help raters differentiate between people who are geeks and those who are not.
Participating in non-political civic organizations
A recent study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, suggests that participation in non-political civic organizations as a geek makes you more attractive. While participating in political groups can be a bit intimidating, a variety of civic activities can be apolitical, which makes them a more accessible avenue for participation.
Geek culture is a subculture of activities such as role-playing games, creative writing, robotics, and costumed entertainment. People engage in these activities because they provide a means for belongingness. However, many of the people involved in these activities are not very high on the scale of belongingness.
Several studies on the relationship between geek culture and civic engagement have been conducted. Researchers studied whether or not participation in geek activities is associated with lower levels of political knowledge, social network size, and trust in government. Studies also examined the effects of a high level of geek culture on narcissism, depression, and subjective well-being. The results of these studies were inconsistent with the great fantasy migration hypothesis.
Interestingly, researchers also found that geek engagement was not significantly related to political knowledge. This is likely due to the fact that geeks tend to be self-identified. It is not clear why some individuals choose to participate in geek activities while others do not.
Another study showed that geeks tend to be more self-directed and more expressive. These characteristics indicate that geeks seek acceptance from important people. They expect to receive a positive response from others. In addition, geeks often expect that their efforts will be rewarded.
Finally, a third study shows that geek culture is positively associated with grandiose narcissism. Generally, these types of narcissists are less engaged in real life activities. Rather, they may turn to geek culture for a fantasy world.
Expecting to be accepted or rejected by others
- As the term “geeks” implies, geek culture is characterized by a strong commitment to hobbies, interests, and cultural artifacts. Geek culture is a way of creating a sense of community among an increasingly individualistic society.
- Studies have shown that geeks are more likely to exhibit traits associated with belongingness. They tend to have a high level of trust in the government and civic organizations. However, they have less involvement in political affairs. Some studies have found that geeks are more likely to show signs of depression.
- The study was done using the Geek Identity Scale (GCES). It is the first measurement to measure the identification of geeks in the context of geek culture. This measure is based on ten questions, each on a Likert scale from one to five. In the appendix, the scale is provided.
- The GCES is a reliable measure that captures the nuances of geek engagement. It also has good construct validity and appropriate reliability.
- Although the GCES shows great reliability, its underlying factors are not fully established. More work is needed on these factors and their relationship to geek culture.
- Studies have also found that geeks tend to have a narcissistic self-image. Narcissism is a trait that is often associated with depression. Geeks also have an interest in fantasy. These characteristics may separate those who engage more in geek culture from those who do not.
- While the GCES was found to be a reliable measurement of geek engagement, more research is needed to explore the connection between geek obsession and geek culture. The GIS and GIS-I scales are also important measures of geek subculture identification.
- Interestingly, the first multiple regression analysis predicted geek engagement based on gender, age, and SES. However, when controlling for these variables, the majority of geek engagement relationships disappeared.