Increase Team Cohesion by Playing Cooperative Video Games

Team building activities such as collaborative video gameplay requires a collective effort by players to achieve a common goal. In a business environment, increasing cohesion can improve performance while in a military environment, increasing cohesion can affect morale and combat efficiency. This study measured group and individual cohesion factors with the result revealing that playing a cooperative video game with a minimal time and financial commitment makes it a viable team building activity to increase team cohesion. Increase Team Cohesion by Playing Cooperative Video Games Teamwork Teams have become increasingly important within an organization [1][2] and can only be effective to the extent that team members work cooperatively with each other [3]. Whether it is a software engineering team, a military unit, an acquisition workforce, a sports team, or any organization in which a group of people cooperative to achieve a goal, effective teams are critical in order to achieve success. In order to cooperate, there needs to be a task aligned with a common goal and team members must feel connected to one another having some type of team building activity that promotes interaction [4]. Newman said that team building promotes “an increased sense of unity and cohesiveness and enable the team to function together effectively” [5]. Research has shown that cohesion is linked to team performance [6][7][8] and is considered one of the most important small group variables [9] with cohesion-performance being driven by goal or task commitment [10]. Team building requires group goals to be defined and tasks identified [11]. As team members struggle to define roles and requirements for the project, the group needs open communication to build trust. As the team works towards a common objective, the members develop social relations. When team members demonstrate a level of respect for peers, the foundation is laid to begin having a successful team and the group functions as a unified unit [12][13]. Team cohesion has long been considered by military psychologists to be a significant factor in small-groups [14]. The military contends that cohesive groups are more effective in combat situations, thus providing an advantage over their opponents [15]. Laurel Oliver said “the military maintains that cohesive groups engender effectiveness in combat situations” [16]. Tziner and Vardi said “a non-cohesive unit could lead to fatalities in artillery and tank crews” [17]. Team unity can be accomplished through a variety of team building activities [18] that improve a group member’s knowledge about effective communication, group problem solving and teamwork, self-esteem, and organizational commitment. A common team building activity is the use of outdoor management education (OME) [19]. OMEs involve a wilderness experience often using rope and challenge courses. However, OMEs can be costly and time consuming. This article explores the less expensive and time-consuming alternative of team building by playing collaborative video games. Pros and Cons of Video Games The U.S. military is recognizing the advantages of using video game simulation in combat training by creating a virtual environment that more closely mimics reality, with realistic threats and having the ability to represent human interaction [20]. Simulations are life-like video games [21] and are helping soldiers from all over the world sharpen their fighting skills and prepare them for the forth-coming battlefield mental stress [22]. They are also bridging the gap between classrooms and real job skills and improving the learning process [23] In the military, researchers have shown that there is a correlation between cohesion, morale, and combat efficiency [24]. Military cohesion has been defined as “the bonding together of members of an organization/unit in such a way as to sustain their will and commitment to each other, their unit, and the mission” [25]. Frederick Manning defines morale as “a function of cohesion and esprit de corps,” and says it is necessary in combat since unit members rely upon each other in order to survive and succeed [26]. Until recently, video game studies might have been considered laughable [27], but an increasing number of studies are being investigated to determine the pros and cons of playing video games. As seen in Table 1, video games are a popular form of entertainment, but they are also a powerful learning tool [28] and are shaping the way we learn. Prensky said “Ever since Pong arrived in 1974, our kids have been adjusting or programming their brains to the speed, interactivity, and other factors in computer and video games, much as their parents the boomers reprogrammed their brains to accommodate TV” [29].