Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Graham, Steven

Keywords

Videogames, Empathy, Emotions

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

As video games become more prevalent in society, it becomes necessary to research the effects video games may have on players. While prior research has shown that video games can be used to increase empathy, little research has been done on the effects of properties of video games. Immersion, the psychological experience of engaging with a videogame, is one of the more desirable aspects a game can have; that is, more immersive games are generally found to be more entertaining. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a game with higher immersion provokes a more empathetic response than a game with lower immersion. An experiment was performed in which participants played either a high or low immersion version of the game Minecraft, then filled out a survey measuring state empathy and immersion. Although immersion was not found to have an effect on empathy, the data do suggest options for future research into the subject.

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