Violent Video Games and Aggression Among Young Adults: The Moderating Effects of Adverse Environmental Factors
Violent Video Games and Aggression Among Young Adults: The Moderating Effects of Adverse Environmental Factors
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Date
2021
Authors
Addo, Prince Clement
Fang, Jiaming
Kulbo, Nora Bakabbey
Gumah, Bernard
Dagadu, Joshua Caleb
Li, Liangqiang
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Abstract
Research is divided on the effects of violent video games (VVGs). Some scholars claimed that VVG promotes
aggression, reduces empathy, increases self-injury, and externalization, whereas others claim that a minimal or,
in some cases, no traits as reported by the former is associated with playing VVGs. This study provides
evidence to support claims that VVG is associated with aggressive behavior among young adults. However, the
study focused more importantly on the moderating effects of adverse environmental factors on this relationship
from a cross-cultural perspective. A total of 3,219 young adults between 18 and 35 years sampled from colleges
and game centers in Ghana and China provided support for this study. We adopted a parallel moderated-
mediation regression analysis and found that increased exposure to VVG is associated with reduced empathy
concerns, aggression-related thoughts, and increased aggressive behavior. Although controlling for gender,
setting, and location, the results pointed to the magnifying effects of the adverse environments in explaining the
association between VVG and aggressive behavior. This study thus provides strong support for the frequently
debated adverse effects of playing VVG among young adults with a particular reference to environmental
factors and will hence aid in communicating a more representative viewpoint on the effects of VVG.
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Citation
Addo, P. C., Fang, J., Kulbo, N. B., Gumah, B., Dagadu, J. C., & Li, L. (2021). Violent video games and aggression among young adults: the moderating effects of adverse environmental factors. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 24(1), 17-23.