Abstract
Video games have been designed and studied in the context of intergroup relations. Past studies have shown that overall gaming experience may induce empathy and reduce prejudice, however, the mechanism that leads to such an effect is not fully understood. The current study utilizes intergroup contact theory as a foundation to design a 2D game that allows mediated contact to occur through hiring and dialogue choices. It examines how perceived positive vs. negative contact valence with outgroup immigrant workers influences empathetic feelings and stereotypes towards immigrants. Results showed that overall gameplay reduced negative stereotypes. Perceived positive contact predicts increased empathetic feelings and reduced negative stereotypes towards immigrants. However, there are no significant findings with regards to the influence of negative contact in the game. Implications and directions for further research are discussed.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences | 2022 |
Place of Publication | Hawai |
Pages | 3161-3169 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Publication status | Published - 4 Jan 2022 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | 55th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2022 - Virtual, Online, United States Duration: 3 Jan 2022 → 7 Jan 2022 |
Conference
Conference | 55th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2022 |
---|---|
Country/Territory | United States |
City | Virtual, Online |
Period | 3/01/22 → 7/01/22 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research is supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its Academic Research Fund Tier 1 Grant (RG41/20).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.