For many competitive games, violence is integral to
progress through the game. It also contributes to the tension
within the game, as gamers try to avoid violence directed at
their character. Many people enjoy games as a form of
entertainment. However, some interested parties have
expressed concerns over the violent content of some
games. Psychological theories of learning and socialisation
have fuelled concern over media content. These theories
typically highlight the importance of mimicry, role models,
practice and interaction in acquiring knowledge and learning
both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ behaviours. The worry is that new
aggressive behaviours can be learnt while playing violent
games. Research investigating the influence of violent video
games on aggressive behaviour originates from two
perspectives (see Box 2):
active media research;
active user research