Does Playing Cooperative Mobile Games Facilitate Social Interaction and Positive Affect in Middle Childhood?

The current study examined the effect of a cooperative (vs. a non-cooperative solitary) mobile game on social behaviors and positive affect during gameplay in middle childhood. In a within-participants experimental design, groups of fifth graders (ages from 10 to 12) played in counterbalanced order cooperative and solitary versions of a cooking game developed for tablets. Our findings showed that children who played the cooperative (vs. solitary) mobile game engaged in more positive and neutral conversations during gameplay. They also sought and received more help from peers and displayed greater positive affect during cooperative (vs. solitary) gaming. Finally, they preferred the cooperative mobile game to the otherwise identical solitary game after playing both games. Overall, these findings provide the first experimental evidence of the social and affective benefits of cooperative mobile gaming in middle childhood.