Playing games in sync can make kids more empathic

Washington: In an example of how a physical activity performed in unison helps children feel more positively toward one another, researchers have found that even a video game played together in sync on a computer could increase their empathy. The study showed that eight-year-olds reported a greater sense of similarity and closeness immediately after playing the video game in sync, those who played the same game but not in a synchronous way did not report the same increase in connection. Synchrony occurs when people interact together in time. It is a fundamental prerequisite for activities such as playing music, dancing and rowing.