The effect of justified video game violence on aggressive behavior and moderated immersion: An experimental approach. Issue 1 (17th October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Shuai; Mao, Bo; Liu, Yanling
• Is Part Of: Aggressive behavior. Volume 49:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 68
• Page End: 75
• Publication Date: 2022-10-17
• Subjects: aggressive behavior -- immersion -- justification of violence -- moral disengagement -- video game; Aggressiveness -- Periodicals; Violence -- Periodicals; Psychology, Experimental -- Periodicals; Agressivité -- Périodiques; Agressivité chez les animaux -- Periodiques; 152.232
• DOI: 10.1002/ab.22054
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0096-140X

Abstract

Abstract: The effect of violent video games on aggressive behavior is an important topic in the field of game research. Recently, growing evidence suggests that justified game violence decreases feelings of guilt caused by in‐game immoral behavior. However, little is known about the impact on aggressive behavior, and whether other factors moderate this effect. In a two‐factor experiment, we tested the impact of justification of video game violence on aggressive behavior, and whether this effect would be enhanced by game immersion. Pilot experiment 1 ( N = 60) and pilot experiment 2 ( N = 40) demonstrated that the justification of violence and game immersion was successfully controlled by avatar and graphics quality. In the Main experiment, 123 participants played one of four conditions of a video game (2 [justification: justified vs. unjustified violence] × 2 [immersion: high vs. low immersion]) and it was found that participants who played in the justified violence condition reported greater aggressive behavior than those in the unjustified violence condition. In addition, participants who played in high immersion reported greater aggressive behavior than those in low immersion. However, game immersion did not moderate the effects of justified violence. This unexpected effect is likely due to participants' distancing themselves from and identifying less with their violent avatars.