Kobayashi, Tetsuro. "Bridging social capital in online communities: Heterogeneity and social tolerance of online game players in Japan." Human Communication Research 36.4 (2010): 546-569.

This study explores the impact of network heterogeneity within online gaming communities on social tolerance, both online and offline. Utilizing structural equation modeling on data from a three-wave panel survey of Japanese online game players, findings reveal that the diverse composition of these communities significantly boosts social tolerance among members. This increase in tolerance is not confined to the online realm but extends to offline interactions, highlighting the role of online gaming environments in facilitating access to bridging social capital by uniting diverse individuals through common interests.