The Effects Of Different Video Games On Prosocial Behavior's Tendencies

The researches about video games focus on the effects of violent video games on the antisocial tendencies. Most of those researches have been framed in the General Aggression Model. However, because of the diversity of video games, the results of those researches based on the General Aggression Model can not explain the positive effects (e.g., the increase of prosocial tendency) of the non-violent video games (e.g., prosocial game) on the individuals.Recently, the researchers expanded the General Aggression Model into the General Learning Model, which has broader explanation. According to the GLM, we can assume that the effects of video games depend on the content of the game. Playing violent video games may increase aggressive outcomes and decrease prosocial tendencies, while playing the prosocial games may increase prosocial outcomes and decrease aggressive tendencies. In the recent two years, according to the basic assumptions of the GLM, the researchers have explored the elicitation of prosocial video game on the prosocial tendencies. Whereas, generally speaking, the researches on the effects of prosocial games on prosocial tendencies are still at the initial stage ,not only the number of studies is sparse, but also lack of systematic and logical consistency. It is difficult to examine the main assumptions of GLM in a comprehensive and systematic way with such limited results.The present study adopted three types of video games (prosocial video game/ violent video game/ neutral video game) as the materials, systematically examines the effects of video games on prosocial behavior's tendency in three dimensions: behavior, affection and cognition. The main conclusions are as follows:(1) Compared to neutral game, prosocial game promoted both of the low-and high-cost prosocial behavior, while violent game promoted the high-cost prosocial behavior, but no significant effect on low-cost prosocial behavior;(2) Compared to neutral game, prosocial game promoted the prosocial affection, but violent game had no significant effect on inhibition of prosocial affection;(3) Compared to neutral game, prosocial game primed prosocial cognition; violent game primed aggressive cognition and prosocial cognition.