The effects of prosocial video games on empathy and prosocial behavior in athletes: evidence from cross-sectional survey and experimental studies

This study examines the effects of prosocial video games (PVG) on the empathy and prosocial behavior of athletes, as well as comparing the intervention effects with non-athletes. In Study 1, questionnaires were used to assess video game exposure, empathy levels, and prosocial-related indicators among both athletes and non-athletes. Study 2 employed a mixed design with a 2 (prosocial/neutral video game group) × 2 (pre/post-test) factorial design, with participants engaging in a 30-min daily video game intervention over a 14-day period. The results showed that in Study 1, PVG exposure in both groups exhibited a positive correlation with levels of positive empathy, and PVG exposure was also found to predict certain prosocial indicators. In Study 2, compared to the neutral video game group, athletes in the PVG group demonstrated an improvement in positive empathy levels as well as sports prosocial behavior towards opponents following the intervention; the PVG non-athlete group showed higher levels of empathy. Overall, prosocial video games can improve athletes' positive empathy and sports prosocial behavior, and similar effects are also observed in non-athletes. These findings suggest that increasing PVG exposure is a promising way to promote prosocial behavior in athletes and can be used in their daily routines and training settings.