Emotional memory in violent video game players and nonplayers

Research on video game playing has focused mainly on the effects of such games in relation to aggression and attitudes towards perpetrators and towards crime. The present research was designed to investigate gamers’ attitudes towards victims of crimes and incidents that were designed to mirror those portrayed in violent video games. Vignettes were used during interviews to explore 50 participants’ attitudes towards different types of victims. The results indicate that long-term playing of violent video games appears to be associated with more negative attitudes towards victims of crime. This is the first study to directly explore attitudes towards victims of crime, in relation to violent video game exposure. Compared to nonviolent video game players, the violent video game players in the study reported less positive attitudes towards the victims in the study and attributed more blame to the victims. The implications of this finding in the context of previous research on violent video games, and on attitudes are explored. Directions for future research in the area are also highlighted.

Download Full-text

Violent video game players and non-players differ on facial emotion recognition

Aggressive Behavior ◽

10.1002/ab.21602 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 16-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ruth L. Diaz ◽

Ulric Wong ◽

David C. Hodgins ◽

Carina G. Chiu ◽

Vina M. Goghari

Keyword(s):

Emotion Recognition ◽

Video Game ◽

Facial Emotion Recognition ◽

Facial Emotion ◽

Violent Video Game ◽

Game Players

Download Full-text

Differential neural recruitment during violent video game play in violent- and nonviolent-game players.

Psychology of Popular Media Culture ◽

10.1037/ppm0000009 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 39-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Douglas A. Gentile ◽

Edward L. Swing ◽

Craig A. Anderson ◽

Daniel Rinker ◽

Kathleen M. Thomas

Keyword(s):

Video Game ◽

Game Play ◽

Video Game Play ◽

Violent Video Game ◽

Game Players

Download Full-text

The Hitman Study

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 99-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Christopher J. Ferguson ◽

Stephanie M. Rueda

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Young Adults ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Video Game ◽

Real Life ◽

Mood Management ◽

Video Game Play ◽

Video Game Playing ◽

Violent Video Game ◽

The Social

This article explores commonly discussed theories of violent video game effects: the social learning, mood management, and catharsis hypotheses. An experimental study was carried out to examine violent video game effects. In this study, 103 young adults were given a frustration task and then randomized to play no game, a nonviolent game, a violent game with good versus evil theme (i.e., playing as a good character taking on evil), or a violent game in which they played as a “bad guy.” Results indicated that randomized video game play had no effect on aggressive behavior; real-life violent video game-playing history, however, was predictive of decreased hostile feelings and decreased depression following the frustration task. Results do not support a link between violent video games and aggressive behavior, but do suggest that violent games reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management.

Download Full-text

Interactive Experience and Identification as Predictors of Attributing Responsibility in Video Games

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications ◽

10.1027/1864-1105/a000168 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 3-15

Author(s):

Nathan Walter ◽

Yariv Tsfati

Keyword(s):

Video Game ◽

Psychological Research ◽

External Factors ◽

Theoretical Expectation ◽

Main Character ◽

Attribution Of Responsibility ◽

Attributions Of Responsibility ◽

Violent Video Game ◽

Grand Theft Auto Iv ◽

Interactive Experience

Abstract. This study examines the effect of interactivity on the attribution of responsibility for the character’s actions in a violent video game. Through an experiment, we tested the hypothesis that identification with the main character in Grand Theft Auto IV mediates the effect of interactivity on attributions of responsibility for the main character’s antisocial behavior. Using the framework of the fundamental attribution error, we demonstrated that those who actually played the game, as opposed to those who simply watched someone else playing it, identified with the main character. In accordance with the theoretical expectation, those who played the game and came to identify with the main character attributed the responsibility for his actions to external factors such as “living in a violent society.” By contrast, those who did not interact with the game attributed responsibility for the character’s actions to his personality traits. These findings could be viewed as contrasting with psychological research suggesting that respondents should have distanced themselves from the violent protagonist rather than identifying with him, and with Iyengar’s (1991) expectation that more personalized episodic framing would be associated with attributing responsibility to the protagonist.

Download Full-text