Bringing Empathy into Play: On the Effects of Empathy in Violent and Nonviolent Video Games

Happ, Christian; Melzer, André; Steffgen, Georges

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-24500-8_44

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Participants in the study of Fischer et al (2012) were likelier to steal pens or candy bars from the laboratory after playing a delinquency-reinforcing game compared to a delinquencyneutral game. Using a similar procedure, this finding was replicated by Happ, Melzer, and Steffgen (2011), who also observed that playing a violent game leads to less prosocial behavior, which was assessed by the willingness to fill out an optional questionnaire. Greitemeyer and McLatchie (2011) showed that another participant's (a confederate) job-relevant qualifications were evaluated less positively after playing a violent game.…”

Section: Aggressive Behaviormentioning

confidence: 72%

Twenty-Five Years of Research on Violence in Digital Games and Aggression

Elson

Ferguson

2014

European Psychologist

167

146

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Violence in digital games has been a source of controversy in the scientific community and general public. Over two decades of research have examined this issue. However, much of this research has been undercut by methodological limitations and ideological statements that go beyond what scientific evidence could support. We review 25 years of experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and meta-analytical research in this field. Empirical evidence regarding the impact of violent digital games on player aggression is, at best, mixed and cannot support unambiguous claims that such games are harmful or represent a public health crisis. Rather, indulgence in such claims risked damage to the credibility of games effects research, credibility which can only be restored through better empirical research and more conservative and careful statements by scholars. We encourage the field to engage in a responsible dialog and constructive debate that could continue to be enriching and invigorating.

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Section: Aggressive Behaviormentioning

confidence: 72%

Twenty-Five Years of Research on Violence in Digital Games and Aggression

Elson

Ferguson

2014

European Psychologist

167

146

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“…2 In addition to the game content itself, however, identification with violent characters increases aggression for both watching TV 3 and playing video games. [4][5][6] The inherent characteristics of video games further support identification. Players may adopt novel identities, ''try on'' ideal characteristics, 7 share game characters' goals, and experience their feelings, which may further intensify the perceived joy of playing the game.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9 As violence makes video games especially appealing 10 and with media frequently presenting violent ''heroes'', 11 the role of identification with a violent video game character 4 or feeling empathy for a violent character 12 are important aspects in explaining negative video game effects. So far, few studies have directly compared the effects of video game characters 5,12 that differ with regard to users' perception of their morality (good vs. evil). 5,13,14 The present study was designed to close this empirical gap.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Superman vs. BAD Man? The Effects of Empathy and Game Character in Violent Video Games

Happ

Melzer

Steffgen

2013

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

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Recent findings indicate that events in video games, as well as players' perceptions of game characters, moderate well-established video game effects. This includes the level of identification with game characters, and players' interpretation of whether or not the actions of the characters are conceived as moral. In the present study, it was tested whether manipulating empathy for well-known game characters influences video game effects in a violent beat-'em-up game. As was expected, playing the comic hero Superman led to more prosocial behavior (i.e., returning a lost letter) than playing the evil villain Joker. A similar positive effect was observed for inducing game characters as warm and empathic before playing. Compared to a neutral text, participants in the empathy text condition judged the violence in the game as less justified, irrespective of game character. When looking at hostile perception, an interaction was found between empathy and game character. For Superman, empathy led participants to interpret neutral faces as less aggressive. When playing the evil Joker, however, empathy even increased hostile perception. This is in line with previous findings that empathy may not be positive per se. In fact, it may backfire depending on the interaction of game characters and the empathy players feel for them.

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“…The perception of the concept of empathy varies from an emotional response to others' feelings to the cognitive ability to understand these feelings. In addition to these two often -used major components of cognitive and affective empathy, a dimension for empathy in fictional contexts broadens the concept [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Games for Empathy for Social Impact

Papoutsi

Drigas

2016

Int. J. Eng. Ped.

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Abstract-Technology is changing and affecting the world around us from all angles. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) constitute suitable tools for interventions with children and adolescents promoting their emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. However, many good reasons underlie the conviction that digital simulations and games are particularly effective media for developing empathy. The current article aims to carry out a systematic review of ICTs on evoking empathy through games.

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Bringing Empathy into Play: On the Effects of Empathy in Violent and Nonviolent Video Games

Cited by 10 publications

References 8 publications

Twenty-Five Years of Research on Violence in Digital Games and Aggression

Twenty-Five Years of Research on Violence in Digital Games and Aggression

Superman vs. BAD Man? The Effects of Empathy and Game Character in Violent Video Games

Games for Empathy for Social Impact

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