Published

2023-01-11

The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator

El Papel de los Terceros en los Conflictos Cibernéticos: el Simulador sima

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v32n1.96322

Keywords:

cyberaggression, chat, online aggression, conflict, pedagogical intervention (en)
ciberagresión, chat, agresión virtual, conflicto, intervención pedagógica (es)

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Authors

  • Luisa García-Vargas Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá
  • Emilse Durán-Aponte Universidad Simón Bolívar
  • Enrique Chaux Universidad de los Andes Freie Universität Berlin Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

New media creates opportunities to directly measure how adolescents respond to aggressive situations. In this study, we report on sima, a simulator of digital chats, created to mimic online aggressive interactions within a conflict situation. Adolescents were invited to be part of a digital chat where all interactions were pre-programmed, except for the participants’ interventions, to discuss controversial topics (e.g., animal maltreatment). Two chat members engaged in a conflict programmed to escalate quickly through aggressive insults. Sixth and seventh-grade students (mostly aged 12 to 14; n = 287) from one public school (low ses) and one private school (high ses) participated in the study. Responses to open questions after finishing the chat suggest that the great majority considered that they were taking part in a real online interaction. Aggressive offenses towards other members of the chat were very common. sima opens many options for further research about bystander behavior in aggressive online interactions.

Los nuevos medios de comunicación han creado oportunidades para medir directamente cómo los adolescentes responden a situaciones de agresión. Presentamos a sima, un simulador de chats digitales creado para imitar interacciones agresivas en línea en una situación de conflicto. Los adolescentes son invitados a ser parte de un chat digital para discutir temas controversiales (p. ej., maltrato animal). En realidad, las interacciones están todas preprogramadas a excepción de las intervenciones de quienes participan. Dos supuestos miembros del chat tienen un conflicto programado para escalar de forma rápida con insultos agresivos. Participaron estudiantes de sexto y séptimo grado (principalmente de 12 a 14 años; n = 287) de un colegio público (nse bajo) y uno privado (nse alto). Las respuestas a preguntas abiertas sugieren que la gran mayoría consideró que estaban participando en una interacción en línea real. Las ofensas agresivas hacia otros miembros del chat fueron muy comunes. sima abre muchas opciones para futuras investigaciones sobre el comportamiento de espectadores en interacciones agresivas en línea.

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How to Cite

APA

García-Vargas, L., Durán-Aponte, E. & Chaux, E. (2023). The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 32(1), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v32n1.96322

ACM

[1]
García-Vargas, L., Durán-Aponte, E. and Chaux, E. 2023. The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator. Revista Colombiana de Psicología. 32, 1 (Jan. 2023), 67–81. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v32n1.96322.

ACS

(1)
García-Vargas, L.; Durán-Aponte, E.; Chaux, E. The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator. Rev. colomb. psicol. 2023, 32, 67-81.

ABNT

GARCÍA-VARGAS, L.; DURÁN-APONTE, E.; CHAUX, E. The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, [S. l.], v. 32, n. 1, p. 67–81, 2023. DOI: 10.15446/rcp.v32n1.96322. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/96322. Acesso em: 15 mar. 2026.

Chicago

García-Vargas, Luisa, Emilse Durán-Aponte, and Enrique Chaux. 2023. “The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator”. Revista Colombiana De Psicología 32 (1):67-81. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v32n1.96322.

Harvard

García-Vargas, L., Durán-Aponte, E. and Chaux, E. (2023) “The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator”, Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 32(1), pp. 67–81. doi: 10.15446/rcp.v32n1.96322.

IEEE

[1]
L. García-Vargas, E. Durán-Aponte, and E. Chaux, “The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator”, Rev. colomb. psicol., vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 67–81, Jan. 2023.

MLA

García-Vargas, L., E. Durán-Aponte, and E. Chaux. “The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, vol. 32, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. 67-81, doi:10.15446/rcp.v32n1.96322.

Turabian

García-Vargas, Luisa, Emilse Durán-Aponte, and Enrique Chaux. “The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología 32, no. 1 (January 11, 2023): 67–81. Accessed March 15, 2026. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/96322.

Vancouver

1.
García-Vargas L, Durán-Aponte E, Chaux E. The Role of Third Parties in Cyber Conflicts: The sima Simulator. Rev. colomb. psicol. [Internet]. 2023 Jan. 11 [cited 2026 Mar. 15];32(1):67-81. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/96322

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1. Carolina Alcántar-Nieblas, Angel Alberto Valdés Cuervo, Lizeth Guadalupe Parra-Pérez, Francisco José Álvarez-Montero, Fernanda Inéz García-Vázquez. (2024). Psychometrics Properties of the Styles of Bystander Defender Intervention Scale in Cyberbullying: Its Relationships with Moral Identity and Cyberbullying. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 33(1), p.29. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v33n1.105145.

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