Video Game Reward Systems and Their Impact on Players' Behavior in the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma

Overview

Studies have suggested that increased digital cooperation can lead to increased real life collaboration. This Video Game Reward System study was created to test cooperation between participants in such a game and using common game reward systems. Three, 2 player games, were designed, animated, and coded using C# and the Unity game engine. The games attempted to replicate a Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma game theory scenario. Players were given the choice to defect or to cooperate. Cooperation yielded one point per player. If one player defected, they received 3 points and the cooperating player got 0 points. If both defected, 0 points are awarded. The player with the most points won. Players played 10 rounds. Each game differed in reward system. Game A was the base game. Game B showed each players’ score. Game C displayed positive animated messages. Forty-two students were tested anonymously. Partners, grade, gender, enjoyment, and gameplay were recorded. Players who defected 9/10 times were invited to return for further testing. In further testing, participants played at least 1 of the 2 games they hadn’t previously, with a new partner each time. Because of the high rates of participants who originally played Game C, only Game A and B were tested in further testing. Game C had the highest number of defects (7.43 per game) and the lowest enjoyment (6.43 out of 10). Half used a defect-oriented strategy. The defects for the other two versions were the same, 5.86 defects. Game B had enjoyment of 7.43 and Game A 6.93. In retested players, defect-oriented strategies dropped from 87.5% to 53.3%. This experiment pointed to a link between defect-oriented strategies and the animated feedback version of the game, as well as a pattern of strategies for the other two games.

Awards (1)

• American Psychological Association: Honorable Mention

Competition history

• ISEF 2021 Behavioral and Social Sciences · Entry BEHA023

Resources

• ISEF abstract page ↗

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