Different Frames of Players and the Motivation of Prosocial Behaviors in Digital Games

This study explores the influence of player "frames"—interpreting a game as a rule-based system (player frame) versus an immersive world (character frame)—on motivations for prosocial behaviors within digital games. It investigates the relationship between these frames, empathy, and prosocial actions directed towards both Non-Player Characters (NPCs) and Player Characters (PCs). The core thesis posits that different player interpretations of the game environment lead to distinct empathetic responses and motivations for helping others within that environment.

A survey of 544 participants, with a mean age of 35.5, utilized hypothetical scenarios to assess motivations for prosocial behavior. A significant finding was that empathy levels towards PCs were consistently higher than towards NPCs for both character-players and player-players. While empathy generally predicted prosocial behavior, the specific types of empathy and their predictive power varied based on the recipient and the player's frame. Notably, motivations for helping differed significantly between character-players and player-players.

Emotional empathy was found to predict prosocial behaviors for both player types. However, personal distress only predicted prosocial behaviors for character-players, where lower distress correlated with increased helping. Although both groups exhibited similar overall empathy levels, the impact of emotional empathy on helping PCs was stronger for character-players. Interestingly, neither the type of recipient (NPC vs. PC) nor the player's frame of meaning significantly affected the overall likelihood of providing help, suggesting that while motivations may differ, the ultimate act of helping remains consistent across these variables.