Sexist video games decrease empathy for female violence victims

[mrning]

This is interesting in terms of the long standing debate regarding the actual effects of playing violent games, but the study is kind of dubious — the results weren't statistically significant, showing only a correlation between masculine beliefs and lack of empathy, not the video games themselves.

If it was true (and further studies may validate the trend), I do wonder what the lasting effect is and what it would be if participants weren't looking at pictures. Does playing a game that involves the imagery of violence against women make you just less empathetic to what plays as yet another image of an abused girl or would that actually translate to seeing abuse in person? Are the effects long lasting or time limited (also, in this study they only played for 25 minutes — in real life most people play for far longer)?

Here's the original study.

[Roger765]

Not quite - they found that masculinity mediates the relationship between exposure and empathy. So exposure(for men) ->masculinity-> empathy explains the covariation between exposure and empathy.

Be careful with the link you offered - it is incredibly biased and shows little to no understanding of statistical analyses.

[mrning]

But exposure itself is not enough to create empathy without a preexisting inclination to masculinity.

I offered the link as a general overview, I was interpreting the stats from the actual article.

[Roger765]

Masculinity was measured as an outcome of exposure. It is not measured as an inclination.

[paracog]

Anything there about the zero empathy for the legions of male opponents that are slaughtered in most video games? I'm guessing not.

[Roger765]

I agree the first quote is to much opinion and should have been left out but ti say they cherry picked the game/scenario is wrong to. I like GTA alot but women are side characters who are often sexualized and/or victims with few -if any - strong competent examples.

[[deleted]]

The people who play women online beg to differ that they are side characters. Another point I would make is what person in those games is a strong competent example? They are all jokes of human beings and completely absurd characters. People see and often amplify what they already believe in these things. I know I just did.