Gender differences in emotional responses to cooperative and competitive game play.

ABSTRACT: Previous research indicates that males prefer competition over cooperation, and it is sometimes suggested that females show the opposite behavioral preference. In the present article, we investigate the emotions behind the preferences: Do males exhibit more positive emotions during competitive than cooperative activities, and do females show the opposite pattern? We conducted two experiments where we assessed the emotional responses of same-gender dyads (in total 130 participants, 50 female) during intrinsically motivating competitive and cooperative digital game play using facial electromyography (EMG), skin conductance, heart rate measures, and self-reported emotional experiences. We found higher positive emotional responses (as indexed by both physiological measures and self-reports) du

SUBMITTER: Kivikangas JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4077576 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature