The effect of violent video games on aggression: Is it more than just the violence?

Experimental research has shown that playing violent video games produces higher levels of aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and aggressive behavior (in the short-term) than non-violent video games. However, there are two major limitations with these investigations. First, the majority of experimental studies that have compared the effects of violent versus non-violent video games on aggression have failed to equate these games in terms of competitiveness, difficulty, and pace of action. Thus, although the common finding is that violent video games produce higher levels of aggression than non-violent video games, other unmatched factors beyond the actual violent content may be responsible for the elevated levels of aggression. Second, previous experimental studies have tended to use a measure of aggression that may also measure competitiveness, leading to questions about whether violent video games are related to aggression or competitiveness. After describing these two limitations, how future research can address these gaps in the violent video game literature, and why this research is important, are discussed.

Research Highlights
► Other video game characteristics may influence aggression.
► It is unclear whether the violent content alone in video games causes aggression.
► Aggressive behavior must be unambiguously assessed.