What Is It Like in Somebody Else’s Shoes? From traditional to innovative entertainment, the answer to that question has always been perspective-taking—imagining yourself in other people’s stories. Novels do it through exciting and logical storytelling, movies add stunning and realistic visuals, but technology has allowed us to take it a step further. Instead of passively consuming a story, we can now actively participate, make choices, face obstacles, and experience the consequences of our actions.
That’s the power of video games, and it turns out they can do more than just entertain—active perspective-taking can shape attitudes, foster empathy, and even challenge deeply ingrained biases.
It is no secret that in our societies, victims of gendered violence (Gender-based violence: violence inflicted on someone because of their gender or that disproportionately affects a specific gender) face not only their trauma but also the stigma that comes with it. They are often met with judgment and blame, accused of being weak or held responsible for what happened to them. I wonder—could technology help change that?
Our recent publication shows how video games can serve as a powerful tool to potentially reduce the biases surrounding gendered violence victims. In our study, we found that playing as a character experiencing domestic violence in a video game led to increased empathy. Compared to viewers (people who watched others play the game), players felt more connected to the character, which in turn made them more understanding of real-world victims.
In our study, we used a chapter from Detroit: Become Human, a choice-driven narrative game developed by Quantic Dream. In this scene, players take on the role of Kara, an android housekeeper who witnesses domestic violence against a young girl, Alice. The player must decide whether to intervene and help Alice escape from her abusive father, making split-second choices that directly affect their fate. By actively experiencing the fear and urgency of the situation, players gain a deeper connection to the character’s struggle.
However, does increased empathy translate into real-world change? That’s what’s most important, right? While we found that playing as a gendered violence victim increased cognitive empathy, the link between cognitive empathy and reduced implicit bias (implicit bias: unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that influence one's perceptions, judgments, and behaviors toward others) wasn’t as strong as we had hoped. That doesn’t mean games can’t change attitudes, though—because in our exploratory analysis, we discovered that active perspective-taking does predict greater reductions in implicit bias. Maybe there’s a cognitive mechanism at play that we don’t fully understand yet.
The bottom line is, video games are no longer just a form of escapism—they are a cultural force that can drive social change. They have the potential to shift narratives, challenge harmful stereotypes, and encourage players to think critically about the world around them.
While there’s still work to be done in refining these tools to maximize their impact, one thing is clear: when used thoughtfully, technology can play a crucial role in shaping attitudes and behaviors for the better.
I am currently working with immersive technology such as Virtual Reality—and perhaps video games—on stimulating prosocial attitudes and behaviors alongside my PhD trajectory on greenwashing. If you are interested in such projects, please reach out to me!
Sweeney (Jing) Li is a PhD candidate at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR). Her PhD project focuses on "The Occurrence and Impact of Greenwashed Advertisements by Influencers", exploring greenwashing in influencer marketing. She also has a keen interest in new media and immersive technologies, such as video games and virtual reality, particularly in how these innovations can be used as research methods and tools for stimulating attitude and behavior change.