Computer games and prosocial behaviour

Friederike Mengel

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094099

Computer games and prosocial behaviour

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 9;9(4):e94099. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094099. eCollection 2014.

Author

Friederike Mengel¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Economics, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom; Department of Economics (AE 1), Maastricht University, MD Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.

Abstract

We relate different self-reported measures of computer use to individuals' propensity to cooperate in the Prisoner's dilemma. The average cooperation rate is positively related to the self-reported amount participants spend playing computer games. None of the other computer time use variables (including time spent on social media, browsing internet, working etc.) are significantly related to cooperation rates.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cooperative Behavior*
Emigrants and Immigrants / psychology
England
Ethnicity / psychology
Female
Game Theory*
Humans
Male
Religion
Social Media / statistics & numerical data
Students / psychology*
Students / statistics & numerical data
Time Factors
Universities
Video Games / psychology*
Video Games / statistics & numerical data
Web Browser / statistics & numerical data
Young Adult

Grants and funding

Funding was obtained from a research grant from the European Union (grant PERG08-GA-2010-277026). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.