'Cast' hero from the game

New research shows that possessing supernatural power in the virtual world can make gamers a real-life hero.

'With great power the greater responsibility' is probably the most famous sentence in the history of comics. It appeared in Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's "The Wonder of Wonder 15", a Spider-Man edition. However, this maxim is also true in the case of virtual superheroes.

The game can be used for good purposes - (Photo: VHIL)

Stanford University research (USA) not only reinforces the meaning of the above statement about superheroes but also shows that the experience in the gaming world can promote socially beneficial behaviors in the real world. . This is the area evaluated by psychologist Robin Rosenberg and colleagues with great potential towards social reform.'It is technology that can be used for good and bad purposes, and I am really pleased that it has been rotated in a good way , ' said Rosenberg. She wrote in-depth psychoanalysis of supernatural heroes, including the book What's wrong with Batman? or recently the Origin of superheroes.

Jeremy Bailenson, assistant professor at Stanford University and the founder of the Virtual Manipulation Laboratory, said over the years he and his colleagues have developed virtual reality (VR) experiments and finally pulled out Conclusion: the experience on VR has a strong influence.'The effects are very intense ,' said Bailenson, co-author of the study of the effects of games on humans. 'As a result, they will survive when you leave virtual reality. They change your behavior in the real world , 'Mr. Bailenso said.

The superhero concept was imprinted on ordinary people's minds

In the study, 30 females and 30 males were 'sent' to the misty virtual reality city, and equipped with supersonic flight capabilities, or sitting on helicopters. Groups are assigned one of two tasks: to find a child with diabetes who is missing, which needs immediate insulin injections; or just sit and enjoy the city. After the in-game experience, participants were challenged in real life. And the one who did 'superman' in the game was not only ready but also dedicated to helping others, while the other group did not move their hands.

Researchers believe that people equipped with supernatural powers in the game are often recruited for heroic concepts and prototypes like in comics. In fact, the finding also partly reflects the similarity with the original plot of superheroes. When sharing the results with Paul Levitz, who was the president of the American DC Comics comics publisher, Rosenberg quoted Levitz as saying that when a character finds himself possessing more power than a person, the task The first is to determine whether it will be used for personal purposes or for the community. Rosenberg further explained, in the face of such a choice in the virtual world, those who choose to do good have brought that decision into the real world.

Stanford University's research is one of the first projects to examine socially beneficial behavioral effects in virtual reality and effects when given to supernatural powers, according to the PLOS One report. Rosenberg concluded that virtual reality is full of potential to evoke good character in people, aiming to benefit society.