Video Games and the Training of Sociality: A Survey of Video Game Players

In the academic research field, attempts to use video games to enhance diverse characteristics of sociality have just started. Therefore it is expected that consumer games would also enhance the sociality. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether any features or devices, which enhance sociality, are included in the commercially circulated video games. We conducted a series of web survey for Japanese game players. Participants were asked what kind of features and devices in the video game enhance sociality. Results suggested that 1) video games have potentiality to be able to enhance any characteristics of sociality, 2) it is possible to enhance sociality by actually experiencing or practicing the behaviors with sociality in games, 3) motivation to learn such sociality yields from actually “practic(ing)/ experienc(ing)” the behaviors with sociality in games. Author