Sensory realism and mediated aggression in video games

    Authors

    E. J. Jeong; F. A. Biocca;C. J. Bohil

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Comput. Hum. Behav.

    Keywords

    Presence; Arousal; Aggression; Violence; Video games; PSYCHOLOGICAL PRIMARY COLORS; PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL; SOCIAL PRESENCE; VIOLENT CONTENT; HEART-RATE; BEHAVIOR; HOSTILITY; THOUGHTS; TELEVISION; FEELINGS; Psychology, Multidisciplinary; Psychology, Experimental

    Abstract

    This study investigated whether sensory realism cues in violent games - blood color (red vs. blue), screams of pain (on vs. off), and player perspective (first-person vs. third-person) - affect players' physiological arousal (i.e., skin conductance levels), spatial presence (i.e., sense of being physically "there"), and state aggression in a popular violent game (Half-Life 2), controlling for users' prior game experiences. A path model (N = 160) was examined to see the mediation effects of arousal and presence between realism cues and state aggression. In line with the general aggression model, results showed that realistic blood color and screams increased arousal, but no effect was found for first-person perspective. Presence significantly affected users' state aggression. However, contrary to our expectation based on the excitation transfer theory, arousal did not show any significant effect on aggression. In addition, presence mediated the influence of realistic blood color on state aggression. In the effects of graphic realism of violence on user aggression, presence did a crucial role. Implications and future studies were discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Computers in Human Behavior

    Volume

    28

    Issue/Number

    5

    Publication Date

    1-1-2012

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1840

    Last Page

    1848

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000307415300031

    ISSN

    0747-5632

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