Video games and attitude change – can we reliably measure this? The challenges of empirical study design

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to address methodologically the challenges that arise when measuring attitude changes toward video game content. Drawing on findings from two pilot studies (N = 18, 25) and field notes from an ongoing empirical study (N = 140), we have identified three key challenges: reliability of measurement of attitudes, standardization of game experience for each participant, and measurement of attitudes toward socially sensitive topics. In this paper, we outline our research design that tried to address these challenges. In particular, we propose modifying the game, used as a research tool, to maintain player agency while ensuring all players engage with the measured phenomena. We also recommend using the concept of attitude strength in order to measure effectively attitudes toward socially sensitive topics. Overall, this paper provides preliminary insight into research on video games and attitude change within the field of digital game-based learning.