Exploring the variables of Empathy in Gamers: a Survey validation

This data reports an inductively structured survey's design, validation, and spread strategy created to better understand the design contours responsible for creating an empathetic relationship between Gamers and Playable Characters in Digital Games. The survey is structured inductively and aims to address the following research questions: Which psycho-social characteristics can define a Gamer? How do we assess and measure Empathy in digital games? Can a Gamer have an empathic connection with a Character? Who are the most emphatic Characters in digital games? The survey is divided into the following sections: 1. Sample personal characterization: gamers personal characterization. 2. Context and beliefs: gamer's socio-economic reality characterization. 3. Gaming Habits characterization: gamer's digital playing habits characterization. 4. Type of Player: the typology of gamers' most preferred gaming activities based on Bartle (1996). 5. Sample Empathy assessment: Implementing the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Empathy assessment scale using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) by Davis (1983). 6. Sample Personality Assessment: implementation of a Personality Assessment BFI-2-S (Soto & John, 2017). 7. Assessing Empathy in Digital Games: Access empathy in a specific digital game for a specific playable Character (named by gamer's respondents). The survey was validated before dissemination to ensure reliability, clarity, and content validity. This database reports the data collected through three focus group sessions, taking care to validate the survey structure and to prevent unforeseen issues. The choice for three sessions was a pragmatic response to the evolving problem-finding process, ensuring comprehensive issue exploration and alignment with research questions.