Australian researchers have developed a new theory to explain people’s fascination with violent video games.
Simulating Social Hierarchy and Regulating Emotions
Violent video games tap into human desires by meeting psychological needs.“Autonomy (sense of control), social relatedness (feeling connected with others) and competency (capacity for success) are all motivators for behaviour,” reads a statement by UNSW.
“Violent video games usually provide all these – whether it’s choosing a weapon upgrade, working together with other characters, or accomplishing goals or missions.”
The co-author explained that violent video games allow people to address their psychological needs because they’re designed in a way that allows them to achieve a sense of control and accomplishment.
The Effects of Violent Video Games
The research also suggests that those who perceive themselves as lower in social status or have unmet desires for dominance are more prone to violent video games.“Video games may allow some people to get what they’re not getting in the real world—like enhanced feelings of self-esteem and social ranking,” Kasumovic said.
Violent video games, particularly online multiplayer ones, are designed to encourage improved performance through match-making tiers and levelling up. At the extremes, they can encourage pathological gaming or video game addiction where players continue despite adverse real-world consequences.
“You get instant feedback on the outcome of your performance, and there’s a positive feedback loop that drives you to play more because you want to improve in the game and improve your standing against others,” Kasumovic said.
“That can be problematic if it overtakes your life and decreases your capacity to self-care, and we think some individuals may be more prone to that than others.”
Whether the psychological fulfilment in violent video games can linger into daily life is also another question that researchers are seeking to understand. Their future research will investigate the prosocial effects that violent video games may have on leadership and teamwork.
“We hope the research will help to broaden people’s minds, perspectives and understandings around video games because they’re complex. They’re not going away. If anything, [the landscape] is only going to become more intense,” Kasumovic said.