| Video games are one of the most popular forms of entertainment for adolescents.There are abundant evidence shows that exposure to violent video games can have short-and long-term effects on adolescents’ aggressive behavior.As research has progressed,it has become clear that,in addition to violent content,the pervasive competitive element is also critical to the impact of aggression.Existing studies have examined the effects of competitive video game exposure on aggressive behavior and related variables in terms of competitiveness,competitive game context,and competitive outcomes.However,the current literature still suffers from unclear connotations of variables,controversial findings,and unsystematic research methods;most critically,little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this effect.The General Aggression Model(GAM)provides a solid theoretical basis for understanding the effects and psychological mechanisms of competitive video game exposure on aggressive behavior.The GAM suggests that competitive video game exposure as a situational factor can have both short-and long-term effects on individual aggression,with the proximate processes occurring primarily through internal states(cognition,affect,and arousal)and appraisal and decision processes,and the distal processes occurring primarily through changes in aggression-related knowledge structures,brain structures,and functions that lead to increased aggressive personality.The extended GAM also highlights “Executive Function-Impulsivity Deficits” and “Peer Group Shift” as new pathways through which media influence aggressive behavior.Therefore,in response to the lack of current research,this study uses the GAM as a theoretical guide and designs three studies to systematically explore the effects of competitive video game exposure on adolescents’ aggressive behavior in the Chinese context through a multivariate approach combining cross-sectional,behavioral experiment,and longitudinal study,and examines the mediating role of impulsivity in this effect.Study 1 used a cross-sectional study to examine the relationship between competitive video game exposure and adolescent aggression and the cross-sectional mediating role of impulsivity.1531adolescents(12-17 years old,M = 14.31,SD = 1.16)completed the relevant questionnaire.The results of structural equation modeling analysis showed that competitive video game exposure significantly and positively predicted aggression,in which impulsivity played a fully mediating role.Study 2 used a behavioral experiment to examine the short-term effects of competitive video game exposure on adolescent aggression and the mediating role of impulsivity.62 high school students(15-18 years old,M = 15.44,SD = 0.62)were randomly assigned to single-player and competitive game situations in same-gender pairs and played 5 rounds(approximately 15 minutes)of typing games before completing the Impulsivity and Aggression Measures paradigm and the Game Experience Questionnaire.ANOVA results showed that both impulsivity and aggression levels were significantly higher in the competitive game participants than in the single-player group.However,mediating effects analysis showed that impulsivity did not mediate the short-term effect of competitive video game exposure on aggression(specifically,the pathway from impulsivity to aggression was not significant),which was contrary to study expectations.Study 3 used a longitudinal follow-up method to examine the long-term effects of competitive video game exposure on adolescent aggression and the mediating role of impulsivity.987adolescents(initial measure: 11-17 years old,M = 13.65,SD = 1.49)participated in three follow-up surveys six months apart(total of one year),and cross-lagged analyses of direct effects showed that early competitive video game exposure significantly predicted aggressive behavior six months later.The cross-lagged analysis of indirect effects showed that T1 competitive video game exposure significantly predicted T2 impulsivity,and subsequently,T2 impulsivity significantly predicted T3aggression;the results of the mediating effects test showed a significant longitudinal mediating effect of T2 impulsivity.The following conclusions were drawn from the three studies described above:(1)Competitive video game exposure was significantly and positively associated with adolescent’impulsivity and aggressive behavior,and impulsivity was able to mediate the relationship between competitive video game exposure and adolescent aggressive behavior.(2)Competitive video game exposure had short-term effects on adolescents’ impulsivity and aggressive behavior,but impulsivity could not mediate the short-term effect of competitive video game exposure on aggressive behavior,which might be caused by the fact that the measured aggression was proactive aggression,rather than reactive aggression.(3)Competitive video game exposure had long-term effects on adolescents’ impulsivity and aggressive behavior,and impulsivity was able to mediate the long-term effect of competitive video game exposure on aggression. |
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