Study: Belief in a Just World Can Influence Video Game Choices

A new study has found that people who believe the world is just and predictable for themselves play video games that allow them to plan and strategize.

The findings by Yu-Hao Lee, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Media Production, Management, and Technology associate professor, and UFCJC graduate students Sunny (Qing) Xu, Xiaotong Yu and Hanzi Hu were featured in “Seeking Justice in Video Games: Belief in a Just World and Video Game References” published in Psychology of Popular Media on Sept. 19.

In this study, the authors examined how “belief in a just world” is associated with people’s video game choices and the potential negative effects of video gaming, including gaming addiction, escapism and loneliness.

The study argues that unlike the real world and some media that may or may not adhere to justice principles, video games inherently operate on rule-based systems that foster predictability and justice experiences.

According to the authors, “People who believe the world is just and predictable for themselves play games that allow them to plan and strategize. In comparison, people who desire justice for others prefer playing moral characters, engaging in violence to restore justice in video games, and playing multiplayer games that involve collaboration and competition. Justice motivation did not correlate with escapism or problematic gaming behaviors.”

Posted: September 23, 2024
Category: College News, Student News
Tagged as: Hanzi Hu, MPMT, Sunny Qing Xu, video games, Xiaotong Yu, Yu-Hao Lee