Scientists investigate how people will behave when they learn about the end of the world

The researchers decided to recreate an imaginary world on the brink of apocalypse using the ArcheAge computer game. This game, which has an open-world massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) format, gave scientists the opportunity to explore how people behave in extreme situations.

Read also: Diamonds unknown to science found in a meteorite from Diablo Canyon in the USA

IFLScience has published the results of this unique study. During the experiment, game participants were able to complete quests, explore a virtual map, level up their characters, and collect equipment.

The researchers analyzed more than 270 million records of player behavior after the announcement of the impending "end of the world" in the game.

The results of the study revealed the following. According to the team of scientists, players who stayed in the game until the very end usually showed the most peaceful behavior. Presumably, this indicates their greater commitment to the game and their internal loyalty to it. On the other hand, players who voluntarily left the game early were labeled "drafters" by the research team. They tended to exhibit antisocial behavior, such as killing other players, likely due to a loss of "a sense of responsibility and commitment to the game."

The study participants were informed that their virtual world would be destroyed in a few days. This information added even more emotional intensity to their study.

Overall, although the team emphasizes that the study is of course limited by the fact that it took place in a video game, the end of this world was quite peaceful and sometimes even positive, with the emergence of prosocial behavior towards the end.

We have already written about a strange and eerie ritual of African tribes.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Тelegram-channel!