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The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator

Past research indicates that video game playing can increase aggressive behaviours. Recent studies, however, show that video games can also lead to positive outcomes. Limited studies, however, show how video games affects moral decision making – and whether empathy moderates this relationship. This...

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Main Author: Tan, Marissa Hui Yen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2021
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18151/1/706-2533-1-SM.pdf
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18151/
https://spaj.ukm.my/ppppm/jpm/issue/view/44
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spelling my-ukm.journal.181512022-03-07T01:28:13Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18151/ The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator Tan, Marissa Hui Yen Past research indicates that video game playing can increase aggressive behaviours. Recent studies, however, show that video games can also lead to positive outcomes. Limited studies, however, show how video games affects moral decision making – and whether empathy moderates this relationship. This study investigates whether empathy moderates the relationship between video gaming and moral decision making. An online laboratory experiment was conducted with 100 participants who played a video game and then answered questionnaires assessing empathy and moral decision-making. Results indicate that video games did not influence altruistic moral decision making, b = -.03 p = .460 This relationship was also not moderated by empathy. The main effect of playing video games on altruistic moral decision making was also not significant, b = -.03 p = .119. Results suggest a more complex interplay between different forms of empathy, namely emotional and cognitive empathy, that were not assessed in the current study. Moral licensing may have also influenced the results given its interaction with moral decision making. As such, doing one altruistic task should lead to an egoistic task later on, creating an endless cycle of altruism and egoism. Further research into empathy and moral licensing in moral decision making research is recommended in light of the current results. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2021 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18151/1/706-2533-1-SM.pdf Tan, Marissa Hui Yen (2021) The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator. Jurnal Psikologi Malaysia, 35 (3). pp. 141-153. ISSN 2289-8174 https://spaj.ukm.my/ppppm/jpm/issue/view/44
institution Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
building Tun Sri Lanang Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
content_source UKM Journal Article Repository
url_provider http://journalarticle.ukm.my/
language English
description Past research indicates that video game playing can increase aggressive behaviours. Recent studies, however, show that video games can also lead to positive outcomes. Limited studies, however, show how video games affects moral decision making – and whether empathy moderates this relationship. This study investigates whether empathy moderates the relationship between video gaming and moral decision making. An online laboratory experiment was conducted with 100 participants who played a video game and then answered questionnaires assessing empathy and moral decision-making. Results indicate that video games did not influence altruistic moral decision making, b = -.03 p = .460 This relationship was also not moderated by empathy. The main effect of playing video games on altruistic moral decision making was also not significant, b = -.03 p = .119. Results suggest a more complex interplay between different forms of empathy, namely emotional and cognitive empathy, that were not assessed in the current study. Moral licensing may have also influenced the results given its interaction with moral decision making. As such, doing one altruistic task should lead to an egoistic task later on, creating an endless cycle of altruism and egoism. Further research into empathy and moral licensing in moral decision making research is recommended in light of the current results.
format Article
author Tan, Marissa Hui Yen
spellingShingle Tan, Marissa Hui Yen
The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator
author_facet Tan, Marissa Hui Yen
author_sort Tan, Marissa Hui Yen
title The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator
title_short The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator
title_full The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator
title_fullStr The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator
title_full_unstemmed The effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator
title_sort effect of video games on moral decision making : empathy as a moderator
publisher Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
publishDate 2021
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18151/1/706-2533-1-SM.pdf
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18151/
https://spaj.ukm.my/ppppm/jpm/issue/view/44
_version_ 1726792369555111936
score 13.211869

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