Intergroup contact with a virtual refugee: Reducing prejudice through a cooperative game.

Abstract

Decades of research shows that intergroup contact can reduce prejudice and improve group relations under the right conditions. However, there are many practical and psychological barriers to intergroup contact. This study seeks to examine if intergroup contact with a virtual refugee can reduce prejudice, anxiety, and promote closeness and empathy toward refugees, especially in longitudinal contact experiences. A total of 156 undergraduate students participated in an experiment comparing two forms of intergroup contact with a virtual refugee (in-lab vs. take-home) to reading a news story about Syrian refugees. The findings showed that under a more controlled lab environment, intergroup contact with a virtual refugee is significantly better than the news story in promoting inclusion of others, and equally effective in increasing empathy and reducing perceived threat and anxiety. However, the take-home condition increased anxiety and made participants less willing to help refugees. The findings support that intergroup contact with a virtual refugee can be an efficient and effective way to reduce prejudice and promote intergroup attitudes under certain conditions. Public Policy Relevance StatementInteracting with virtual refugees can reduce prejudice towards refugees under the right conditions, but it can also increase anxiety by making the issues feel too close.

Video Games as Awareness Raisers, Attitude Changers, and Agents of Social Change

“…Participants in the study found the game experience entertaining, and many ended up feeling more empathy for refugees (H3) and less denial (H2). Despite that the present study reports a minimal size effect on the attitude of "Denial" toward refugees and a medium-scale size effect on "Empathy" after playing a video game, it still confirms the recent results obtained by Alhabash and Wise [15], Ruggiero [25], Jacobs [51] and Lee and Chen [23], demonstrating that these effects may be measurable. The results also align with recent research indicating that video games can affect players' short-and long-term implicit and explicit attitudes toward the topics depicted in video games and under certain circumstances [11,59].…”

“…In contributing to the academic discourse on the intersection of gaming and social impact, this research aligns with recent scholarship exploring the potential of digital technologies for positive societal change [11,[23][24][25][26]. Given the pressing global significance of the ongoing refugee crisis, particularly in light of recent geopolitical events and humanitarian challenges, raising awareness of it through this medium holds promising potential for real-life effects.…”

“…Contradictory outcomes surface concerning willingness to help, echoing recent findings [22,23,26,48]. Kelman [60] informs that willingness to help depends on the interest in learning.…”

“…Kolek et al [11] used a serious game Czechoslovakia 38-89: Borderlands to confirm that video games can affect short-and long-term explicit attitudes, a society's historical awareness, and have an important role in understanding historical and social realities. The findings of Lee and Chen [23] supported the idea that under specific conditions, engaging in intergroup contact with a refugee in Burry Me, My Love can serve as a successful and effective method for diminishing prejudice and fostering positive intergroup attitudes. While Peña and Hernández Pérez [24] offered preliminary indications that adopt the viewpoint of video game characters in Papers, Please has the potential to shape players' perspectives on political matters, including immigration.…”

“…Finally, this study was a standalone training tool for self-directed and self-motivated students. The setting in which individuals engage with virtual experiences, whether controlled or in their personal space, can influence the outcomes and emotional responses observed in the study [23]. More learning and attitude change could International Journal of Computer Games Technology have occurred with instructor support for knowledge construction in a controlled settings (cues, tips, different activities, etc.)…”