Gaming for Good: Video Games and Enhancing Prosocial Behaviour

摘要

The number of publications pertaining to video gaming and its effects on subsequent behavior has more than tripled from the past to the current decade. This surge of research parallels the ubiquitousness of video game play in everyday life, and the increasing concern of parents, educators, and the public regarding possible deleterious effects of gaming. Numerous studies have now investigated this concern. Recently, research has also begun to explore the possible benefits of gaming, in particular, increasing prosocial behaviour. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of the research literature examining the effects of video game playing on prosocial behaviour. Within this literature, a variety of theoretical perspectives and research methodologies have been adopted. For example, many researchers invoke the General Learning Model to explain the mechanisms by which video games may influence behaviour. Other researchers refer to frameworks involving moral education, character education, and care-ethics in their examination of the relationship between gaming and prosocial development. Diverse parameters have been explored in these studies. For example, different studies have assessed both the immediate and delayed impacts of gaming, and investigated the effects of different durations of video game playing. Additionally, based on each study's operational definitions of "aggressive behaviour" and "prosocial behaviour", a variety of behaviours have been assessed and different measures have been employed. For instance, studies have used self-report measures of empathy, the character strengths of generosity and kindness, and the level of civic engagement, as well as used word-completion and story completion tasks and tit-for-tat social situation games such as "Prisoners' Dilemma". These studies have examined changes in both aggressive and prosocial behaviours. "Video games" collectively span a wide spectrum of content, contexts, and player engagement modalities. Therefore, researchers have focused on different aspects of the video games and on different aspects of the context or structure within which the games are played. Competitive versus cooperative games have been studied, as have antisocial versus prosocial games; additionally, combinations of these facets (e.g., games that use violent or antisocial methods to achieve prosocial goals) have been studied. The effects of solo game playing versus co-playing with another research participant have also been studied. A cross-section of the variety of perspectives, methodologies, findings and foci of research within the study of video game playing and prosocial behaviour is included in this literature review. Despite the wide array of research approaches and questions, gaps exist within the video game-prosocial behaviour literature. This is not surprising, given that this is a relatively new domain of research. We conclude the chapter, therefore, by proposing future research questions and directions with which to address this gap in our knowledge.