Guilt, Games, and Green Choices

Guilt When Gaming

Jasmine, a behavioral economics major, had always been curious about how digital platforms shape human behavior. Her interest stemmed from her coursework in cognitive psychology, which explores how thoughts influence actions and experiences. She noticed that after long study sessions, she often turned to mobile games to unwind. Over time, however, she began to feel uneasy. The games were fun, but they were also distracting. She would occasionally miss deadlines, skip meals, and sometimes ignore texts from friends just to spend more time playing. The enjoyment was real, but so was the guilt.

Psychologists define guilt as an emotional response to the perception that one has violated a moral standard or personal value. In Jasmine's case, the guilt stemmed from neglecting responsibilities in favor of entertainment. This kind of guilt often leads to game withdrawal, as players reduce playtime or quit to restore their sense of integrity.

Then Jasmine discovered Ant Forest, a game embedded in her mobile payment app. It rewarded users for eco-friendly behaviors like walking or using public transportation by planting real-world trees in desert regions of China. Jasmine was intrigued. Could a game actually make her feel good about playing?

Designing the Study

Inspired, Jasmine designed a small study for her seminar. She asked 30 classmates to recall a game that had made them feel guilty, perhaps because it distracted them from responsibilities. Then, she introduced them to Ant Forest, a game that encouraged continued play to plant real-world trees.

She measured their guilt levels and intentions to reduce gameplay using a 7-point Likert scale. These measures served as her dependent variables since they reflected the outcomes she was trying to understand. The independent variable was the type of game, which varied between a traditional entertainment game and one with prosocial features like Ant Forest. She also administered a self-control inventory to assess each participant's ability to regulate their behavior, which became a key factor in how guilt shaped their gameplay decisions.

Types of Guilt and Behavioral Impact

Jasmine used an empirical method, collecting data through observation and surveys to understand how guilt influenced gameplay behavior.

In the study, participants who played Ant Forest experienced a unique form of guilt. It did not arise because the game was inherently harmful, but because it made them reflect on their broader responsibilities and values. Unlike traditional games that might evoke guilt due to time-wasting or neglecting duties, Ant Forest introduced a moral dimension to gameplay. Several types of guilt emerged:

• conflict between enjoyment and responsibility: Players enjoyed the game but were aware that excessive play could interfere with work, studies, or social obligations. This internal conflict triggered guilt, especially when they recognized that their time could be spent on more meaningful tasks.
• social comparison and expectations: Some participants reported feeling guilty when they saw others using the game to actively contribute to environmental causes, such as planting trees. If they played passively or inconsistently, they felt they weren't doing enough, which led to a sense of moral inadequacy.
• moral framing of the game: Ant Forest is designed to make players feel like their actions have real-world consequences. This framing activates personal norms, the internalized standards of what one "should" do. When players failed to meet these standards, such as skipping eco-friendly actions, guilt emerged.
• motivation for change: Interestingly, guilt didn't always lead to withdrawal. For participants with high self-control, guilt became a motivator. They reduced their playtime, engaged more intentionally with the game's prosocial features, and even reported changes in their real-world habits, such as walking more or recycling.

The results were revealing. Participants with high self-control who reported guilt were significantly more likely to reduce their gameplay. Those with low self-control showed no such pattern, as they were less likely to change their behavior. The game's social responsibility elements amplified guilt in some users, especially when they perceived a gap between their values and actions. Jasmine realized that guilt alone wasn't enough. It had to be paired with the ability to regulate behavior.

Self-Determination Theory

Jasmine's findings align with self-determination theory, which suggests that people are motivated by autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When guilt disrupts these needs, individuals with strong self-regulation are more likely to adjust their behavior to restore balance.

Norm Activation Model

Jasmine also explored the norm activation model, which explains how personal norms (like environmental responsibility) are activated when individuals recognize the consequences of their actions and feel morally obligated to respond. In Ant Forest, the game's environmental framing activated Jasmine's sense of responsibility, transforming gameplay into prosocial action.

But there's a twist: This shift can also trigger moral licensing, which happens when doing something "good" (like planting trees in a game) gives someone permission to do something "less good" later (like binge-playing another game). Jasmine noticed that some classmates felt justified in playing more games after engaging with Ant Forest. The guilt was gone but so was the restraint.

Social Responsibility and Sustainable Behavior

Jasmine's case illustrates how psychological constructs like guilt, self-control, and moral norms can be leveraged to promote sustainable behavior through gamification. As digital platforms increasingly embed social responsibility into their design, understanding these mechanisms becomes essential, not just for psychologists but for designers, educators, and policymakers alike.

References

Chen, J., Zhang, G., & Hu, Q. (2022). Research on the impact of pro-environment game and guilt on environmentally sustainable behaviour. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, Article 13406. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013406
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0).

SciShow Psych. (2017, April 24). Are violent video games bad for you? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qwv_wTUNwLs?si=ePrPC_RH4RmZEeFw

Photo Credits

Puwasit Inyavileart on Adobe Stock. "Two men are planting trees and watering them to help increase oxygen in the air and reduce global warming, Save world save life and Plant a tree concept."

fizkes on Adobe Stock. "Sad thoughtful african girl on sofa looking away feel depressed."

malp on Adobe Stock. "Abstract icon representing the ecological call to recycle and reuse in the form of a pond with a recycling symbol in the middle of a beautiful untouched jungle. 3d rendering."