Aggression refers to a type of behavior directed toward another individual that is carried out with the proximate intent to cause harm (Anderson, 2002). In particular, the perpetrator must ensure that the behavior would harm the target (Geen, 2001). In laboratory settings, artificial measures of aggression are used for children due to ethical reasons. In the present study, aggressive behavior is operationally defined as the level of hot sauce powder that children intentionally select for stranger in the picture.
1.1 Theories of aggression
To date, General Aggression Model (GAM), Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Catalyst Model (CM) are common theoretical models to explain the causes and consequences of aggression. The GAM, a useful domain-specific theoretical framework, considers the influence of personal (i.e., trait aggression, attitudes, genetic predispositions, sex) and situational factors (e.g., games, films, songs) on aggressive behavior through mediating variables of cognition, affect, and arousal. All three of these mediating variables (internal states) lead to a decision process, which causes aggressive behaviors (Anderson & Bushman, 2018). The SDT is a broad theory of human personality and motivation concerned with how the individual interacts with and depends on the social environment. The SDT outlines how these self-determined motivations influence social and cognitive performance, and well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2017). The CM that details that family community, school, media violence and peer violence may be related to increased aggression, but not cause such aggression (Elson & Ferguson, 2014). In the current article, we focus on one situational variable—exposure to a violent video game—and how it influences internal state (e.g., anger) to increase the likelihood of aggression. Thus, we attempt to use the GAM as the theoretical framework to explain the violent video game effects on kindergartners.
1.2 Children and violent video games
Today, many young children are increasingly playing video games through their parents’ smart-phones or tablets (Rideout, 2017). Exploring how violent content used in games for young children provides much-needed information about whether the violent video games that is connected to how young children behave. Further, such information can help improve future video games by highlighting potential gaps in game design as well as provide educators with references to help select high-quality video games for learning. Thus, an ever growing number of kindergartners are playing video games, making our topic of violent video game effects relevant and timely. Specifically, longitudinal evidence suggests that violent video games exposure is an important independent predictor which contributes to aggression in children and adolescents (Teng, Nie, Guo, Zhang, Q., Liu, & Bushman, 2019; Tian, Gao, Wang, & Gao, 2020). As a child psychology researcher, we are more concerned about kindergartners who often use violent video games, track these kids who play video games, guide them to develop good game habits, and cooperate with parents to manage their gaming behavior reasonably.
1.3 Violent video games and aggressive behavior
So far, the relationship between violent video games and aggressive behavior has been debated. A group of researchers who’s work indicates a positive game violence-aggression link (Anderson et al., 2017; Chang & Bushman, 2019; Greitemeyer, 2019). However, critics have failed to find such causal link, and they argue that the conclusion of the above scholars is a publication bias (Ferguson, 2007). The critics contend that violent video game exposure can not promote aggression, or even the violent video game effect is null. Thus, critics state that some of game-aggression works are known to be false positives due to questionable researcher practices that are not replicated when reexamined (Ferguson & Wang, 2019; Mccarthy, Coley, Wagner, Zengel, & Basham, 2016; Przybylski & Weinstein, 2019). What’s more, critics claim that the GAM is an inappropriate theoretical model of aggression because many studies have failed to support this model, and there assume Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Catalyst Model (CM) are better theoretical framework (Ferguson & Dyck, 2012; Ferguson & Kilburn, 2010). The counter-research tends to portray links between violence in games and aggression as uncertain based on the evidence to the contrary. Thus, we may suggest being more cautious in asserting causal claims from prior literature. To our understanding, the relation between violent game play and aggression in kindergartners does not depend on whether the violent game effect exists, but on how such effect does occur.
1.4 Trait aggression, gender, and aggressive behavior
Previous research findings have shown that individuals with high trait-aggression display more aggressive behavior than those with low trait-aggression (Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Teng, Nie, Guo, Zhang, Liu, & Bushman, 2019). Media violence is positively correlated with aggressive behaviors of individuals with high trait aggression (Anderson, 1997; Bushman, 1995; Marshall & Brown, 2006). Besides, there are significant gender differences in the violent game effects on aggressive behavior (Bartholow & Anderson, 2002; Hoeft, Watson, Kesler, Bettinger, & Reiss, 2008). Specifically, boys show more aggressive bias than girls when they are rewarded in a violent video game condition (Carnagey & Anderson, 2005; Cross & Campbell, 2012; Smith & Waterman, 2005). Thus, trait aggression and gender are potential moderators of aggressive behavior in regards to violent video games.
1.5 Anger as a potential mediator of aggressive behavior
Anger is an important predictor of subsequent aggression by playing violent video games (Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Berkowitz, 1990; Giumetti & Markey, 2007; Petikas, 2013; Yao, Zhou, Li, & Gao, 2019). Nonetheless, a few researchers are skeptical of the key hypothesis that anger causes aggression (Geen, 2001). Noticeably, repeated exposure to violent video games enhances hostile feeling and aggressive behavior (Allen, Anderson, & Bushman, 2018). Given that aggression-related knowledge rehearsal structures are primed by anger, aggressive behavior is likely to be energized by increased anger. In many cases, individuals spill out anger and aggressive behavior when he/she is frustrated (Breuer & Elson, 2017; Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mowrer, Sears, & Faris, 1939). As such, frustration may induce anger, which, in turn, may lead to aggressive behavior outcomes. Thus, anger may become a mediator of aggressive behavior under the condition of violent video games.
1.6 The present study
One goal of this study is to conduct a conceptual replication of violent video game effects on aggression in children across gender. A second objective is to provide experimental evidences at one potential moderating variable of violent game effect—trait aggression. The final objective is to look at one potential mediating variable of violent game effect—anger. On the basis of GAM and previous findings, our study proposes the following hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1: Playing a violent video game will lead to more aggressive behavior than playing a neutral video game.
Hypothesis 2: Trait aggression and gender will moderate the violent video game effect on aggressive behavior.
Hypothesis 3:Anger will mediate the violent video game effect on aggressive behavior.