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Video games, frustration, violence, and virtual reality: Two studies
Christopher J Ferguson1, Anastasiia Gryshyna1, Jung Soo Kim1
1Stetson University, DeLand, Florida, USA.
The British Journal of Social Psychology
|June 11, 2021
Summary
Video game difficulty, not violent content, increased hostility in a virtual reality study. This finding partially supports frustration theory, suggesting game challenges may be a key factor in aggression research.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Media Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- The relationship between video game content and aggression is a persistent topic of academic debate.
- Existing research presents conflicting findings regarding the impact of violent video games on aggressive behavior.
- The role of game difficulty and virtual reality (VR) environments in modulating aggression remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of video game difficulty and violent content on hostility and aggression.
- To replicate a previous study on Tetris difficulty and extend its findings to virtual reality gaming.
- To examine aggression in VR environments with varying difficulty and violent content.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted: Study 1 replicated a Tetris difficulty experiment; Study 2 involved participants playing VR games.
- VR games in Study 2 varied in difficulty and violent content.
- Hostility and aggressive behavior were measured as outcomes.
Main Results:
- Increased game difficulty led to higher hostility in the VR study (Study 2), but not in the Tetris study (Study 1).
- Violent content in VR games did not significantly influence hostility or aggressive behavior.
- Findings partially supported frustration theory but did not support theories on violent content effects.
Conclusions:
- Game difficulty, particularly in immersive VR environments, may be a more significant factor in aggression than violent content.
- Results suggest that frustration, rather than violent themes, could be a primary driver of aggression in gaming.
- Further research is needed to understand the nuances of game design elements and their impact on player aggression.
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