The effect of a persuasive game on attitude towards the homeless

To investigate whether a persuasive game may serve as a way to increase attitude towards the homeless, this study examined the effects of persuasive mechanics in a video game designed to put the player in the shoes of an almost-homeless person. Data were collected from 5139 students in 200 middle/high school classes across four states. Classes were assigned to treatment groups based on matching. Two treatment conditions and a control group were employed in the study. All three groups attitude scores decreased from the immediate posttest but the game group was significantly different from the control group in a positive direction. Students who played the persuasive game sustained a significantly higher score on attitude after three weeks. Overall, findings suggest that when students play a video game that is designed using persuasive mechanics an attitude change can be measured empirically.