Video game play and intergroup relations: Real world implications for prejudice and discrimination

• Intergroup competition in online video games may elevate intergroup bias.
• Intergroup cooperation in online video games may reduce intergroup bias.
• We discuss real world implications of intergroup relations during video game play.

To date, the majority of psychological research on the effects of video games on attitudes and behavior has focused on content of the games, such as the violence. Yet video games have become increasingly multiplayer, with options to interact with other players online. This feature offers players the unique opportunity to compete or cooperate with people from all over the world, including those who belong to different social groups (e.g., North American, Europeans, Asians). In the current article, we seek to bridge the gap between the video game effects literature and the intergroup processes literature by proposing that intergroup competition and cooperation in online video games may influence intergroup attitudes and behavior, with real world implications for both studying and reducing intergroup conflicts. First, we review pertinent theory and literature regarding intergroup competition and cooperation, followed by work on video game context effects. Next, we describe how intergroup competition and cooperation in online video games may impact intergroup processes. Finally, we propose important directions for future research and discuss the implications of this work.