Video games and the formation of virtue: An examination of the content of video games and their effect on compassion

Abstract

There is continued controversy over violent content in video games and the effect these games have on the player. Currently little or no research has been conducted examining the effect of prosocial video games on the player. This paper describes an experiment that measures the influence video games have on compassion, specifically focusing on the different effects of violent-, neutral-, and prosocial-themed games. Participants exposed to a violent-themed video game reported significantly lower rates of state compassion than participants in other conditions. Participants participating in a control group reported significantly higher rates of state compassion than participants in other conditions.