Does playing team-based video games make people more prosocial?
Gamers are often stereotyped as antisocial nerds, playing videogames in isolation for hours, and neglecting their social relationships. However, gaming is often a social activity. A study in Press Start explores if playing videogames together in teams more often may stimulate in-game prosocial behavior. The results hint that the antisocial stereotype of gamers is incorrect, at least when it comes to players of team-based videogames.
Take aways
- People don't become more prosocial when they play team-based video games more often, but they don't become less prosocial when they play more either.
- Players who act more prosocial in team-based videogames (helping and comforting teammates in the game) also behave in a more prosocial manner in real life (helping and comforting others, for example parents and friends).
- This shows that prosocial behaviors do occur in team-based games, but that these behaviors are not encouraged or hampered by the frequent playing of this type of games.
Study information
Who?
727 participants (mean age: 24; age range: 18-61 years, 91% male)
Where?
International (76 nationalities, the 3 most common: American [31%], Dutch [11%], British [7%])
How?
Participants completed a questionnaire about their gaming habits, in-game prosocial behavior (such as helping teammates in need) and offline prosocial behavior (such as comforting someone who is upset).
Facts and findings
- The amount of time that participants spent playing team-based videogames was unrelated to the amount of in-game prosocial behavior they exhibited.
- Participants’ who showed more in-game prosocial behavior, also showed more offline prosocial behavior.
- Critical note: This study does not allow for any conclusions about cause (i.e., in-game prosocial behavior) and effect (i.e., offline prosocial behavior). The results only show that in-game prosocial behavior is associated with offline prosocial behavior and cannot say anything about what causes what.