How Immersiveness Shapes the Link Between Anthropocentric Values and Resource Exploitation in Virtual Worlds

TL;DR

This study explores how immersiveness in virtual worlds influences the relationship between anthropocentric values and resource-exploiting behaviors, revealing complex interactions that can inform environmental psychology and digital conservation efforts.

Contribution

It introduces the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework to analyze virtual ecological behaviors and demonstrates how immersiveness moderates the link between anthropocentric values and resource exploitation.

Findings

Fishing and tree-cutting are positively linked to anthropocentrism.

Immersiveness weakens the link between tree cutting and anthropocentrism.

Bug-catching shows a negative association with anthropocentrism as immersiveness increases.

Abstract

The Anthropocene is characterized by escalating ecological crises rooted not only in technological and economic systems but also in deeply ingrained anthropocentric worldviews that shape human-nature relationships. As digital environments increasingly mediate these interactions, video games provide novel contexts for examining the psychological mechanisms underlying environmental behaviors. This study investigates how anthropocentric values are associated with resource-exploiting behaviors in virtual ecosystems--specifically, fishing, bug catching, and tree cutting--and how immersiveness moderates these relationships. Employing the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) to analyze data from 640 Animal Crossi,g: New Horizons (ACNH) players across 29 countries, the study reveals complex links between anthropocentric worldviews and in-game behaviors. Fishing and tree-cutting frequencies are positively associated with anthropocentrism, whereas immersiveness weakens the association between tree cutting and anthropocentrism. Bug-catching frequency shows no direct effect but exhibits a growing negative association with anthropocentrism as immersiveness increases. These findings extend environmental psychology into virtual ecologies, illustrating how digital interactions both reflect and reshape environmental values. They highlight the potential of immersive gameplay to cultivate the Nature Quotient (NQ) and foster an eco-surplus culture through reflective, conservation-oriented engagement.