ABSTRACT
Video games have acquired a leading position among contemporary entertainment media. Their popularity has motivated substantial research efforts on both intended effects (entertainment, learning, and persuasion) and unintended side-effects (most importantly, aggression and substantiation of stereotypes). The current review reveals multiple experiential dimensions (enjoyment and appreciation) and mechanisms of video game entertainment, as well as theory and evidence for learning and persuasion outcomes of gaming. Substantial research addresses aggression-promoting effects of violence in games, whereas inquiry on other undesirable outcomes is in need of theoretical and empirical substantiation. The authors conclude with perspectives on long-term implications of the “playful society.”
