Impact of digital games on empathy and theory of mind of children: a systematic review

• Grant number: 16/12542-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2016
• End date: August 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Débora de Hollanda Souza
• Grantee: Livia Scienza
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The development of technologies has expanded exponentially each year. In consonance with this growth, many studies have been conducted - eminently since the twenty-first century - in order to assess the impact of these new technological tools and devices in human behavior. In the broad spectrum of interactions between humans and their environment, interpersonal relationships, and the way in which they can be mediated, hindered, or facilitated by technology and media, should be highlighted. In the last decade, the digital world also reached the universe of children, mainly through digital games available on multiple platforms such as consoles, game boys, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers. These "digital natives" are exposed daily to digital media, being active participants in the content of such games. Therefore, there is clearly a need for more investigations on the effects of these new social dynamics, mediated by the new technologies, on children. The present work aims to contribute in this direction by means of a systematic review of papers, published in the past decade, and which address the topic of the impact of digital games on children's social development with a focus on their empathic skills and theory of mind development.