Extending the theory of Bounded Generalized Reciprocity: An explanation of the social benefits of cooperative video game play

Abstract

The theory of Bounded Generalized Reciprocity was examined to help explain why cooperative video game play can increase players’ subsequent pro-social behaviors. Participants played a basketball video game with a helpful or unhelpful teammate against an ostensible opposing team. Participants in the control condition did not play a video game with their teammate. Participants then engaged in a one-shot simultaneous or sequential prisoner’s dilemma game with their teammate and an opposing team member. In line with Bounded Generalized Reciprocity, donations to teammates were influenced by expectations of others to reciprocate pro-social behaviors. Specifically, playing with a helpful teammate confirmed expectations of in-group members to reciprocate pro-social behaviors and led to increases in pro-social behaviors between teammates. Playing with an unhelpful teammate disconfirmed expectations of in-group members to reciprocate pro-social behaviors and led to decreases in pro-social behaviors between teammates. Interestingly, playing with a helpful teammate increased participants’ donation to out-group members even though participants did not expect them to reciprocate. The current study emphasizes the importance of pro-social reciprocity expectations in predicting people’s pro-social behaviors and the impact cooperative video game play can have on such expectations.