Sensory realism and mediated aggression in video games

Eui Jun Jeong, Frank A. Biocca, Corey J. Bohil

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1840-1848
Number of pages9
JournalComputers in Human Behavior
Volume28
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2012
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • General Psychology

Keywords

  • Aggression
  • Arousal
  • Presence
  • Video games
  • Violence

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