The relationship between game rules and team cohesion: an empirical study

Multiplayer games (both face-to-face and online) frequently feature teams. This study investigates whether it is possible to use the rules of a game to alter the team cohesion. Game rules from two face-to-face games were analyzed using Social Identity Theory to predict which will lead to more cohesive teams. Significant differences in team cohesion ratings given by the players after the games suggest that the game rules may indeed affect the team cohesion as predicted.