Video Games and Players’ Empathy, Compassion, and Sympathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: Due to the importance of empathy, the popularity of video games, and the potential contributions to the Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model (DSMM), this thesis examined the relationship between video games and empathy-related constructs, including compassion and sympathy. Based on 84 previous studies, this systematic review revealed associations between video games and empathy-related constructs, as well as the diversity in the empathy-related concepts measured by scholars and the instruments used to measure these concepts. A meta-analysis based on 18 studies supported the superior positive impact of prosocial gaming content on players' state empathy, compared to violent video games, neutral video games, and other formats of education such as reading textbooks. This synthesis and integration of research findings support both existing and new propositions for the DSMM
DOI: 10.17615/k7wt-br41
Author: Li, Kexin
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Topic: Digital Games and Media
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162017806
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