The Prosocial Cyberball Game: Compensating for social exclusion and its associations with empathic concern and bullying in adolescents

Claudia I Vrijhof; Bianca G van den Bulk; Sandy Overgaauw; Gert-Jan Lelieveld; Rutger C M E Engels; Marinus H van IJzendoorn

doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.07.005

The Prosocial Cyberball Game: Compensating for social exclusion and its associations with empathic concern and bullying in adolescents

J Adolesc. 2016 Oct:52:27-36. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.07.005. Epub 2016 Aug 2.

Authors

Claudia I Vrijhof¹, Bianca G van den Bulk², Sandy Overgaauw³, Gert-Jan Lelieveld⁴, Rutger C M E Engels⁵, Marinus H van IJzendoorn⁶

Affiliations

¹ Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Child and Family Studies, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands.
² Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Child and Family Studies, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Developmental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
⁵ Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Trimbos-Institute, P.O. Box 725, 3500 AS Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁶ Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Child and Family Studies, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: vanijzen@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.

PMID: 27494739
DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.07.005

Abstract

In this study we examined prosocial compensating behavior towards socially excluded ingroup and outgroup members by using a 'Prosocial Cyberball Game' in 9-17 year old Dutch adolescents (N = 133). Results showed that adolescents compensated for the social exclusion of an unknown peer in a virtual ball tossing game, by tossing the ball more often to that player in compensation conditions compared to the fair play condition. The proportion of tosses towards the excluded player did not significantly differ as a function of the group status of that player. Although compensating behavior towards ingroup versus outgroup members did not differ, the underlying motivation for this behavior may vary. More empathic concern was associated with more prosocial tosses towards an ingroup member, while more self-reported bullying behavior was associated with less compensating behavior in the outgroup condition. These findings may have practical implications for programs intending to change bystander behavior in bullying situations.

Keywords: Adolescence; Cyberball; Group status; Prosocial behavior; Social exclusion.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior*
Bullying*
Child
Empathy
Female
Games, Recreational / psychology*
Humans
Intention
Male
Netherlands
Peer Group
Psychological Distance*
Social Behavior*