Triple Whammy! Violent Games and Violent Controllers: Investigating the Use of Realistic Gun Controllers on Perceptions of Realism, Immersion, and Outcome Aggression

Previous research links violent video game play and aggression, and shows that playing games using natural mapping motion capturing controllers increases immersion and perceptions of realism. We extend current research by experimentally testing whether the “weapons effect” emerges when using a reali...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of communication 2015-04, Vol.65 (2), p.280-299
Main Authors: McGloin, Rory, Farrar, Kirstie M., Fishlock, Joshua
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggression
Aggressiveness
Cognition
Cognitive Aggression
Communication
Communication research
Computer & video games
Controller Naturalness
Economic behaviour
Feelings
Firearms
Games
Immersion
Mental Models
Perception
Perceptions
Realism
Videotape Recordings
Violent Video Games
Weapons
Weapons Effect
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Summary:Previous research links violent video game play and aggression, and shows that playing games using natural mapping motion capturing controllers increases immersion and perceptions of realism. We extend current research by experimentally testing whether the “weapons effect” emerges when using a realistic gun controller to play a violent first‐person shooter video game. The results provide compelling evidence that using a realistic firearm controller positively impacts cognitive aggression. Participants playing with the gun controller also experienced increased perceptions of game realism and feelings of immersion. The findings raise concerns about the harmful effects of popular realistic firearm controllers and are discussed in terms of the model matching hypothesis and the weapons effect.
ISSN:0021-9916
1460-2466
DOI:10.1111/jcom.12148