Violent or competitive? Unpacking adolescent cyber-aggressive behavior in text, video, and game context

Cyber-aggressive behavior in adolescents is significantly influenced by violence and competition, yet their distinct roles and interactions with contextual and personality factors remain underexplored. This study investigates how violent versus competitive triggers, contextual mediums (text, video, game), and social comparison tendencies shape cyber-aggression.

Two experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 employed a 2 (violence vs. competition) × 3 (context: text, video, game) mixed design using gamified assessments to measure cyber-aggression. Study 2 expanded this with a 2 (violence vs. competition) × 3 (social comparison tendency: high/medium/low) × 2 (aggression type: verbal/physical) design to dissect behavioral and personality interactions.

Violence consistently elicited higher cyber-aggression than competition across all contexts (Study 1). In Study 2, violent-competitive factors retained significant main effects, while aggression type (verbal/physical) and social comparison tendency alone showed no significant impacts. Key interactions emerged: verbal aggression under competitive conditions provoked stronger cyber-aggression than physical means. High social comparison tendency amplified cyber-aggression in violent contexts, correlating with escalating violence intensity.

Violence is the dominant driver of adolescent cyber-aggression, particularly when paired with high social comparison tendencies. Competitive environments, however, disproportionately trigger verbal aggression. These findings highlight the need for context-specific interventions targeting media content and individual predispositions to mitigate cyber-aggressive behavior.