CORRELATION OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT OF STEM STUDENTS

Abstract

Video games have become a massive and highly lucrative industry, captivating millions of players worldwide. While they offer numerous benefits, such as enhancing problem-solving skills and fostering social interaction, they also present significant challenges. One of the most pressing concerns is addiction, where players develop a compulsive need to continue gaming despite its negative impact on their daily lives. This excessive engagement often leads to the neglect of personal responsibilities, social relationships, and emotional well-being, highlighting the need for greater awareness and balanced gaming habits. The researchers adopted a quantitative research approach, specifically a correlational research design, to analyze the relationship between the time spent playing video games and the emotional and social quotient of STEM students. Using Slovin’s Formula, the required sample size was calculated to be approximately 400 respondents, ensuring a 5% margin of error. A purposive sampling method was applied to select 400 Grade 11 and 12 STEM students as participants. Data collection was conducted through a self-assessment survey questionnaire, which served as the primary research tool. The correlation between playing video games and the social quotient was found to be negligible and negative (-0.1041), with a significant p-value of 0.0376, indicating a weak inverse relationship. In contrast, the correlation between playing video games and the emotional quotient was also negligible (0.0283) but non-significant, with a p-value of 0.5725. These findings suggest that playing video games has minimal impact on the social quotient of STEM students and no significant effect on their emotional quotient. Most students play video games for 1–5 hours a week, indicating a potential opportunity to integrate educational content into popular games or develop educational games requiring similar time commitments. The weak negative correlation between playing video games and the social quotient suggests that encouraging multiplayer games that foster social interaction could be beneficial. Furthermore, since no significant relationship was found between playing video games and the emotional quotient, future research should explore other factors influencing emotional development among STEM students.