Impact of violent video game realism on the self-concept of aggressiveness assessed with explicit and implicit measures

Abstract

a b s t r a c tWe compared the standard 2D representation of a recent violent computer game to its 3D representation realized by shutter-goggles in a lab experiment. Assuming that the higher degree of realism of media violence would impact stronger on players in a pretest-posttest design, we analyzed the influence of violent video game exposure on implicit and explicit measures of aggressiveness. According to an explicit questionnaire on aggressiveness, participants reported having becoming more peaceful, whereas an Implicit Association Test on aggressiveness (Agg-IAT) indicated that the association between self and aggressive behavior became stronger after violence exposure, confirming the unique utility of Agg-IATs in media research. The 3D visualization mode, however, did not further strengthen this association, and a mediation model of increases in aggressiveness by participants' flow experiences was not supported. When inspecting flow experiences, an interaction effect between gender and visualization mode was evident: Male participants were more likely to have flow experiences in the high-realism (3D) format, whereas female participants were more likely to experience flow in the standard (2D) mode. We discuss the findings in the context of automatic information processing in aggression, and we contend possible changes in automatic behavioral precursors due to media influence.

Using Indirect Measurement Tasks to Assess the Self–Concept of Personality: A Systematic Review and Meta–Analyses

“…Unfortunately, these studies did not allow testing the robustness of the aggressiveness IATs to aggression induction. In one study, state aggression was not measured (Bluemke et al, ), and in the other three studies, the directly assessed state aggression did not differ between the different conditions (Banse et al, , Study 4; Uhlmann & Swanson, ; Zumbach et al, ). More studies are warranted here, especially in view of the results of a latent state‐trait analysis that has been executed on an aggressiveness IAT (behaviour version) in children between 10 and 14 years old (Lemmer, Gollwitzer, & Banse, ).…”

“…Second, by analogy with the indirect measurement of trait anxiety, also for implicit measures of aggressiveness, it is important to examine whether (trait) aggressiveness IAT effects are robust to the manipulation of state aggression. In four studies, the level of state aggression was experimentally induced in a between-subject design by manipulating the level of aggression of a videogame that participants played at the start of the session (Banse et al, 2015;Bluemke et al, 2010;Uhlmann & Swanson, 2004;Zumbach, Seitz, & Bluemke, 2015). Unfortunately, these studies did not allow testing the robustness of the aggressiveness IATs to aggression induction.…”

Validating gameplay activity inventory (GAIN) for modeling player profiles

“…Another important theme for future research would be to investigate how distinctive gameplay activity preferences, for instance, a preference for Aggression, correlates with, e.g., appreciating sensory realism (see Shafer et al 2014;Ribbens et al 2016), specific motivations such as immersion (Lin and Peng 2015;Yee 2006), and possible positive and negative media effects, such as aggressive outcomes beyond gameplay situations (e.g., Krcmar et al 2011;Valadez and Ferguson 2012;Jeong et al 2012;Zumbach et al 2015;Greitemeyer 2018).…”

Enter the matrix: Does self-activation really matter for aggressiveness after violence exposure?

“…This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly. ardson, & Mason, 2010;Teubel, Banse, Asendorpf, & Schnabel, 2011;Zumbach, Seitz, & Bluemke, 2015).…”