An exploratory study on relations between gameplay experience and the level of moral judgment

Abstract

This study is about correlation between game experience and personal morality, by conducting a quantitative research method. Before executing the research, this study prepared a theoretical filtration model about personal acceptance of video game experience according to intersubjectivity of human cognition, to explain why most gamers do not actually commit crimes even they practice violence inside the game. As the foundation of the model suggested that the research of video game culture should handle the practical and possible issues which are evoked by infiltration of human cognition, this study mainly concentrated on two experiences of gameplay which has high possibility on supporting or denouncing one’s moral thinking. From pragmatist aesthetics we could derive the hypothesis that a video game can deliver aesthetic efficacies which can increase morality. The result of quantitative method had shown that individual aesthetic gameplay experience had strong correlation with one’s level of moral judgement. Moreover, competitive gameplay experience, which is one of the major experiences of games, had shown negative correlation with the level of moral judgement.