Counter-attitudinal intervention decreased positive attitudes and behavioral tendencies towards video games

Abstract

Based on Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance, this study aimed to explore whether arousing cognitive dissonance among game players can alter their attitudes and behavioral tendencies towards their favorite games. Sixty-six college students (Study 1) and 108 primary school students (Study 2) were randomly divided into a game-related dissonance group and a snack-related dissonance group to perform a short-term counter-attitudinal self-persuasion intervention task. The results suggested that college and primary school students in the game-related dissonance group experienced a significantly higher decrease in positive attitudes towards games and behavioral tendencies to continue playing games than those in the snack-related dissonance group. The participants' attitudinal change toward the games played a mediating role in the effects of the counter-attitudinal intervention on their changes in the behavioral tendency to continue playing the games. In addition, there was a significantly higher game-related dissonance-based intervention effect in the sample of college students than in the sample of primary students. The findings expanded the application of cognitive dissonance in the gaming field and provided implications for educational computer systems to change the attitudes and behaviors of students with excessive gaming behaviors.