Long-term effects of computerized simulations in protracted conflicts: The case of global conflicts

Abstract

This article presents an experimental study examining the short term and long term effects of Global Conflicts on attitude change towards the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Global Conflicts is a role-playing computer game simulating this conflict. 180 undergraduate students from Israel and Palestine participating in the study were divided into game intervention and no-game controls. The participants were required to fill in questionnaires measuring attitudes regarding the conflict immediately before and after the game intervention and 12 months following this intervention. Results suggested that participants who played the game, unlike those who did not play it, shifted towards a more impartial perspective, being able to look at the conflict from both Israeli and Palestinian points of view immediately after the game intervention, and retained this perspective even one year after participation in this intervention, despite the serious clashes between Israel and the Palestinians that occurred during this time.