Primary social emotions toward a non-player character: an examination of moral decision-making in video games

Abstract

This exploratory study examines the emotional responses toward non-player characters (NPCs) when challenged with an in-game moral decision (i.e. justified versus unjustified killing) and when exposed to game statistics on whether their moral choice aligned with the majority public. Using Buck et al.’s (2014) social and moral emotions (SAME) scale, participants (n = 301) completed an online experiment measuring their primary social emotions after being presented with a written scenario and screenshots from a popular video game that required participants to make a moral decision. Findings provide overall support for the interdependent connections in primary social emotions and revealed that embarrassment and shame were higher towards the NPC in the unjustified choice. Study results provide practical health implications for video game developers to develop and design more elaborate narrative paths that delve into the ethical tendencies of video game players.