Together in Sync: Assessing Prosocial Behavior with a Full-Body Interactive Mixed Reality Experience

This study investigates how interpersonal synchrony (IPS) in full-body interactive Mixed Reality (MR) environments can shape children's prosocial behavior. We introduce DragonIce 2.0, a two-part MR game designed to induce synchronous or asynchronous group activity and assess their impact on prosocial behavior. To examine changes in affiliation (team belonging and peer liking) and collaboration (overt joint actions), we conducted a comparative study with children aged 9-10, using both system logs and self-report measures. The results highlight the importance of context, task structure, and perceived coordination in shaping social outcomes, offering insights into how interaction dynamics shape social engagement in immersive settings. This work contributes a novel approach for studying prosociality in ecologically valid, technology-mediated settings by combining playful, immersive interaction with controlled manipulation of group synchrony. Our findings inform the design of inclusive MR experiences that support social connection, collaboration, and group engagement among children.