Trait Aggression and Violent Video Games

Abstract

The question as to what psychological effects violent video game content has on consumers has been the center of debate for decades. While many studies have been conducted with the intent of answering this question, a great deal is still unknown. Although some studies have yielded results that suggest exposure to violent video game content can alter mood, cognition, and empathetic responding, other studies have found such effects to be insignificant. A potential key to better understanding this discrepancy may lie in the application of methods utilized by Industrial Organizational psychologists to assess implicit and explicit trait aggression. In this correlational study, researchers measured participants’ levels of implicit and explicit trait aggression as well as their preferences regarding violent video games content. While researchers found that both implicit and explicit aggression displayed significant, positive correlations with preference for violent video games, the size of said correlations was weaker than originally hypothesized. Additionally of note was the identification of gender as a significant covariate, such that men were far more likely than women to indicate a preference for violent game content. Although significant, these findings still leave many aspects of the original question unanswered. It is the opinion of the researchers that additional studies must be conducted in order to draw precise conclusions regarding the psychological effects of violent video game engagement on consumers.