To kill or not to kill - Behavioral, physiological and personality markers of moral decision-making in video games;
Scientific Conference (2021, September)
To kill or not to kill - Behavioral, physiological and personality markers of moral decision-making in video gamesScientific Conference (2021, September)
An Integrative Model of Moral Processing for the Video Game MediumScientific Conference (2021, September)
Moral Judgment in Video Games: Effects of Medium, Moral Intuitions and Media-Based EmpathyScientific Conference (2021, September)
Nationwide implementation of media literacy training sessions on internet safetyin Communications: the European Journal of Communication Research (2021)
Although numerous media literacy training sessions on internet safety for children and adolescents have been conducted, their number contrasts sharply with the few systematic studies on their effectiveness. In this study, we describe the evaluation of nationwide-implemented training sessions on internet safety in Luxembourg, which included perceptions of learning outcomes and evaluations of implementation and effectiveness. Training data from 2011 to 2018 were analyzed, including 28,060 students and 5,031 teachers. Students reported pronounced learning effects, especially for younger students and for repeated training participation. Teachers greatly appreciated the implementation and effectiveness, which generally increased over the years. The perceived effectiveness of the training was significantly related to teachers’ planning to cover internet safety topics in future lessons. The present study shows that carefully planned and continuously evaluated training sessions on internet safety successfully support children’s understanding and teachers’ willingness to implement internet safety in their curriculum.
The Hormones of Dark Souls: The Dark Tetrad and Violent Gaming Effects on Aggression, Cortisol and Testosterone LevelsScientific Conference (2021, May)
Although playing violent video games may lead to detrimental effects on cognition, emotion and behavior, the role of hormones and its interplay with personality characteristics is not well understood. An experimental study tested how playing a violent versus non-violent video game affects cortisol and testosterone levels, whether these hormonal changes increase implicit aggressive cognition, and whether Dark Tetrad personality traits moderate these effects. In an experimental design, 54 male participants played either a violent or a non-violent video game. Participants provided salivary samples at the beginning of the experiment (T1), right after 25 minutes of gameplay (T2), and 20 minutes after that (T3). There were no significant effects on implicit aggressive cognition. However, participants in the violent game condition had a significant decrease in cortisol levels (T1 to T2) and a significant negative trend in cortisol levels from T1 to T3. Participants with higher Machiavellianism scores in the violent condition had a stronger decrease in cortisol (T1 to T2). In contrast, participants with higher Machiavellianism scores in the non-violent condition had a higher increase in cortisol (T1 to T2). The present findings illustrate the complex interplay between personality, hormones, and game content, thus specifying current notions on violent game effects.
Psychological contract violation or basic need frustration? Psychological mechanisms behind the effects of workplace bullyingin Frontiers in Psychology (2021)
Workplace bullying is a phenomenon that can have serious detrimental effects on health, work-related attitudes, and the behavior of the target. Particularly, workplace bullying exposure has been linked to lower level of general well-being, job satisfaction, vigor and performance, and higher level of burnout, workplace deviance, and turnover intentions. However, the psychological mechanisms behind these relations are still not well understood. Drawing on psychological contract and self-determination theory, we hypothesized that perceptions of contract violation and the frustration of basic needs mediate the relationship between workplace bullying exposure and well-being, attitudinal, and behavioral outcomes. Self-reported data were collected among employees with different working backgrounds (N = 1,257) via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk in an online survey. Results showed that feelings of contract violation and frustration of basic needs accounted for unique variation in well-being, work satisfaction, burnout, vigor, and turnover intentions, pointing to individual contributions of both psychological mechanisms. However, when controlled for frustration of basic needs, feelings of psychological contract violation were no longer a mediator between workplace bullying exposure and work performance. Helping employees to deal effectively with workplace bullying exposure might buffer its negative effects and reduce their experienced frustration of basic needs, preserving their well-being, vigor, and work performance and, eventually, prevent burnout. The present study is the first to concurrently elucidate the proposed psychological mechanisms and unique contributions of psychological contract violation and frustration of basic needs in the context of workplace bullying.
Effects of Emotional Music on Facial Emotion Recognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2020)
Impaired facial emotion recognition in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is in contrast to their intact emotional music recognition. This study tested whether emotion congruent music enhances facial emotion recognition. Accuracy and reaction times were assessed for 19 children with ASD and 31 controls in a recognition task with angry, happy, or sad faces. Stimuli were shown with either emotionally congruent or incongruent music or no music. Although children with ASD had higher reaction times than controls, accuracy only differed when incongruent or no music was played, indicating that congruent emotional music can boost facial emotion recognition in children with ASD. Emotion congruent music may support emotion recognition in children with ASD, and thus may improve their social skills.
Corona and the Mediain Mein, Georg; Pause, Johannes (Eds.) Self and Society in the Corona Crisis (2020)
Mediennutzung in den Zeiten von Pandemie und Lockdownin Benoy, Charles (Ed.) COVID-19 - Ein Virus nimmt Einfluss auf unsere Psyche. Einschätzungen und Maßnahmen aus psychologischer Perspektive (2020)
Understanding Moral Decision-Making in Video Games: A Focus Group StudyScientific Conference (2020, May)
Moral dilemmas have become increasingly popular in video games, although it is still widely unknown why players might find them pleasurable, how they process dilemmas, and which factors affect the processing. Therefore, three different focus groups sessions with expert gamers (N = 16) were conducted. Gamers’ expressions of their experience with meaningful and morally relevant game situations were grouped for relevant topics. Topics are supported by direct quotations from participants of discussion groups, referring to up-to-date video game titles and presented together with respective theoretical assumptions. Results show that besides the game-defining theme of interactivity, statements can be grouped broadly into factors that describe why players engage or disengage in the first place (motivation) and factors that shape the moral interaction itself (influencing factors). In summary, our findings support the notion that moral-decision making in video games is a dynamic interplay between several game and user-dependent variables. Findings provide insights into players’ processing of moral dilemmas in video games, which also offers promising suggestions for future research using experimental setups.
Von Pong zur Panik? Videospiele als gesellschaftlich relevantes Forschungsthemain Amann, Wilhelm; Sieburg, Heinz (Eds.) Spiel-Räume. Das "Spiel" in Diskursen der Kultur und Wissenschaften (2020)
Players' moral decisions in virtual worlds: Morality in video gamesBook published by Oxford University Press (2020)
From complex multi-players to casual gaming: video games are the most common virtual environment for entertainment that younger generations spend a significant time in. Although early game titles already featured morality-related topics, implementing meaningful eudaimonic playing based on moral decision making has become increasingly popular. Unfortunately, scientific analyses of game-related moral decisions mostly revolve around the effects of players engaging in virtual violence, leading to ongoing heated debates in academia and the general public (e.g., Anderson et al., 2010; Ferguson, 2007). To date, however, only few studies have tried to disentangle the moral aspects of video games from virtual violence (e.g., Joeckel, Bowman, & Dogruel, 2012). The present chapter provides an overview on both established and novel theories on psychological processing of moral decision making in virtual worlds in line with cutting-edge game examples. These theories aim at explaining how games can elicit moral processing as well as the factors that modulate these processes once the player is morally engaged. Based on i.a. aspects of the theory of presence (Biocca, Harms, & Burgoon, 2003; Tamborini & Skalski, 2006), moral disengagement (Bandura, 2002; Hartmann & Vorderer, 2010) and a dual process model of moral judgement (Greene, Sommerville, Nystrom, Darley, & Cohen, 2001; Gubbins & Byrne, 2014; Haidt, 2001), a new model is proposed. Furthermore, individual characteristics such as playing experience, player motivation and moral salience according to the moral foundations theory (Haidt & Joseph, 2008; Tamborini, 2011) are integrated in the model.
Moral decision-making in video games: A focus group study on player perceptionsin Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies (2020)
Moral dilemmas have become increasingly popular in single player video games, although it is still widely unknown why players find them pleasurable, how they process dilemmas, and which variables affect the processing. Therefore, three different focus groups sessions with experienced players (N = 16) were conducted. Player perceptions of meaningful and morally relevant decision situations in video games were grouped for topics and contextualized with theoretical background (e.g., moral disengagement theory). Our findings support the notion that moral decision-making in video games is a dynamic interplay between game and user-dependent variables. Results show that in addition to interactivity, which reflects the inherent property of video games, statements can be broadly grouped into factors that describe player motivation (i.e., why they morally engage or disengage) and influencing factors that shape the moral interaction itself. In summary, the present findings provide insights into players' processing of moral dilemmas in video games.
Male vs female gamers: Testing the stereotype threat effect in video gamingScientific Conference (2019, September 17)
Stereotype threat (ST), defined as the risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s own group, has been demonstrated in various social contexts. Regarding video games, for example, informing female participants that men would outperform women in gaming leads to gender differences in performance. To date, however, these studies have not looked into the mechanisms of this ST effect in gaming. In two lab studies (N=186), some participants were confronted with ST-related information before playing a video game. In Study 1, half of the participants read a bogus article confirming the “standard” gender stereotype (“men outperform women”). In Study 2, a reverse stereotype was presented to half of the participants (“women have outpaced men in some game genres”). In contrast to hypotheses, both studies failed to show the expected significant interaction effect of gender and ST condition on performance, although female participants confronted with the “standard” gender stereotype reported greater frustration in Study 1, for example. In sum, results indicate a complex relationship between gender, social identity, experience with the game genre, and behavior. Identifying oneself as a gamer and being experienced in a particular game genre were found to be better performance predictors than reading stereotype threatening information.
“It felt wrong to me to play that way” Understanding moral decision-making in video games through focus group discussionsin Nebel, Steve; Pietschmann, Daniel; Schneider, Sascha; Koban, Kevin; Beege, Maik; Skulmowski, Alexander; Ohler, Peter; Rey, Günter Daniel (Eds.) Proceedings of the Media Psychology Division (2019, September 05)
Craving for violence: The role of Dark Personality traits in violent video game preferenceScientific Conference (2019, June)
Background: Violent and antisocial video games are popular, but little is known why players are drawn to these kinds of games. This present research tested whether there is a connection between player preferences for violent games and characteristics of so called “dark” personality traits. Method: Relying on a user-centered approach, three online studies (N=662) examined the role of “dark” personality traits together with a novel violent game preference short scale. Results: Study 1 and 2 indicated strong correlations between trait aggression and players’ interest in explicit depictions of blood and gore and games that provide experiences of domination and antisocial behavior. In Study 3, the new scale was tested together with participants’ trait aggression, trait empathy, and the Dark Triad traits of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. Games featuring violence and the possibility of antisocial behavior were found to meet the needs of players who lack empathy and show callous, impulsive, and exploitive (but not narcissistic) attributes. Conclusions: Findings of individual motivators for game violence significantly extend the literature that is predominantly focusing on the effects of playing these games. Apparently, game preferences and playing habits fulfill individual needs that are at least partly determined by particular, i.e. “dark”, personality characteristics.
Of princesses, paladins, and player motivations: Gender stereotypes and gendered perceptions in video gamesin Breuer, Johannes; Pietschmann, Daniel; Liebold, Benny; Lange, Benjamin (Eds.) Evolutionary psychology and digital games. Digital hunter-gatherers (2019)
Video games have been labeled a male space, and playing video games an activity created by men and for men (Fox & Tang, 2014; see also Lange & Schwab, this volume). The present chapter analyses the typical roles of male and female video game characters, their presentation in games, their effects, and how players perceive these characters. To this end, gender in video games will be analyzed on different levels. Although women and men share the same overall interest in playing video games as a medium for entertainment, they differ substantially with regard to genres and game titles they prefer. These gender differences have been attributed to the overrepresentation of male characters in video games, uninviting game contents that strongly rely on competition and physical aggression, and the stereotypical portrayal and scripted behavioral patterns of hyper-masculine or “macho” male and sexualized female game characters. The issue of gender portrayals in video games will be discussed in the light of theoretical considerations on evolved dispositions that differ by sex versus the social structural account that attributes sex differences to the differing placement of women and men in the social structure. It will be argued that both theoretical approaches make similar predictions regarding gender-specific video game preferences.
Who’s afraid of Donkey Kong? Testing the Stereotype Threat Effect in Video GamingScientific Conference (2019, May)
In two studies (Study 1: N = 130; Study 2: N = 56) participants played a video game (Bejeweled 3; SkyChasers) and were either confronted with a stereotype threat (ST) or not. ST is defined as the risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s own group and has been investigated in various field, i.a. in gaming. In the first study participants were confronted with the stereotype that women would perform worse in video games than men. In the second study we worked with a reversed stereotype, namely that women would have now outpaced males in some genres of video games. Our results show that performance varies across gender and genre. Although we did not find the hypothesized interaction effect of gender and ST condition in performance, self-reported measures, such as perceived frustration, and moderating variables indicate performance differences both for women and men, but on different psychological dimensions.
Escaping reality through videogames is linked to an implicit preference for virtual over real-life stimuliin Journal of Affective Disorders (2019), 245
From the theory of compensatory Internet use, escapism through videogames may constitute a coping strategy that is sometimes helpful but, in some cases, maladaptive. Yet, evidence supporting this view has, to date, been gathered only through the use of explicit self-reported questionnaires, which are known to be biased. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to test whether the escapism motive is related to a preference for the virtual environment. Method. A laboratory task that allowed the measurement of implicit attitudes, namely, the Affect Misattribution Procedure was created with stimuli from real world and videogames. The task was administered online with a series of questionnaire and completed by 273 online gamers from the community. Results. The results showed that participants had more positive attitudes toward pictures depicting virtual environments than toward those depicting real environments. Furthermore, those participants who frequently used videogames to escape real life and were highly engaged in video gaming had a more pronounced positive implicit attitude toward the virtual environment. Discussion. This study contributes to a better understanding of the psychological processes underlying escapism in videogames and calls for a refinement of the escapism construct, which can be related to both problematic (i.e., potential coping strategy) and nonproblematic patterns of videogame use. Among the limitations, it should be noted that the selection of stimuli related to videogames is restricted to one genre of game, and that the participants’ environment could not be controlled due to the online design.
It's not only the game, it's also the player: The role of player personality in violent video game preferenceScientific Conference (2018, November 03)
In contrast to the effects of game content, violent video games have less been researched with regard to players' preferences for these games, and whether these preferences are related to certain personality characteristics. Using a novel brief and uni-dimensional self-report measure, the present research examined the role of personality factors and preferences for violent video games. A scale of five items was administrated in two studies that involved 292 and 180 respondents, respectively. The same scale with two additional items was presented to 190 respondents in the third study, which included measures revealed by prior research to be relevant for understanding violent video game motivation and preference. More specifically, we measured participants' trait aggression, the Dark Triad traits of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. To test for the scale's discriminant validity, trait empathy was also included. In line with other findings in the literature (e.g., Greitemeyer, 2015), results obtained with the self-report measure indicated that players with a propensity for games featuring violent themes show callous, impulsive and exploitative attributes, whereas narcissism was not a significant predictor. However, and as already suggested by some authors (Hartmann, Möller, & Krause, 2014), a lack of empathy was found to predict violent game preferences. The present findings are important with regard to future research on video games that should focus more on the players and their gaming motivation than on the effects of playing alone.
Dark Souls like "Dark Souls": Personality Characteristics and Preference for Violent Video GamesScientific Conference (2018, May)
How to threaten male gamers: The effects of stereotype threat on video game performancePoster (2018, May)
A total of 70 participants (47.1% men) took part in a lab experiment that manipulated stereotype threat (i.e., the risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group) between playing a video game (Bejeweled 3). Participants performed generally worse after reading a fictitious article on gaming research that women would still play less and perform worse in games than men (ST condition). In contrast to males, however, female participants reported greater frustration from reading this article than their colleagues who read that women and men no longer differ in terms of playing frequency and performance skills (no ST condition). Interestingly, a reverse pattern of results was obtained for male participants, who reported a stronger negative effect of the article in the no ST condition on their ability to show their best gaming performance. Apparently, stereotype threat may affect video game performance both for women and men, but for different reasons.
Avatar Sex Moderates Aggression in Violent Video Games, But Only for WomenPoster (2017, September 07)
Three studies tested findings reported by Yang, Huesmann, and Bushman (2014) that playing a male avatar in a violent video game leads to greater aggression than playing a female avatar in the same game. The male avatar effect was confirmed in Study 1 (N=79) for post-game aggression: compared to playing a female character, participants who had played the male fighter in a violent mixed martials arts game chose more Hot Sauce for another participant who allegedly disliked spicy food. In contrast to Yang et al. (2014), however, the male avatar effect was qualified by participant sex, indicating that the effect was more strongly pronounced and only significant for female participants. A similar interaction effect was observed in Study 2 (N=76) and Study 3 (N=70) for in-game aggression: only female participants playing a male avatar showed a greater hit ratio in a mixed martials arts game (Study 2) or a greater number of attacks in a brawler game (Study 3) than their colleagues who played a female avatar. At this stage, the reason for this cross-gender effect is unclear. Given that games allow for behavior (i.e., aggression) independent of socially shared gender norms, we may speculate that for women, male avatars may provide the opportunity to “step out” of prevailing social norms regarding non-aggressive female behavior and adopt the role of the (hyper-)aggressive male. However, this hypothesis needs to be tested in future studies. All three studies additionally tested the mediating effect of male gender stereotype activation that was hypothesized by Yang et al. (2014). In addition to priming violent behavior, and in line with the General Aggression Model, the authors had speculated that playing the male avatar automatically activated male gender stereotypes (i.e., aggressive thoughts and behavior) which then caused aggressive behavior. In order to address this activation hypothesis, we designed an indirect cognitive measure of gender role identity using the Positive-Negative Sex-Role Inventory (PN-SRI: Berger & Krahé, 2013). After participants played the violent game, positive and negative aspects of masculinity and femininity were presented as word fragments in a five-minute response window in Study 1 and 2. Fragment completion rates served as indicators of cognitive activation of male stereotypes. In Study 3, participants used the intact PN-SRI gender attributes to rate the avatar after playing the game. However, both direct and indirect measures failed to corroborate the stereotype activation hypothesis in the present studies: word fragments related to male stereotypes were not completed more often than fragments related to female stereotypes (Study 1 and 2). Also, neither in-game aggression nor success in the game was associated with how masculine participants perceived their fighter (Study 3). At the present stage, thus, the mechanisms underlying the gender effect that participants respond differently when playing a male or female avatar in a violent video game remain unclear.
Exposure to Sexualized Pictures Primes Occupational StereotypesScientific Conference (2017, September 05)
Gender stereotypes in advertisements, magazines, or videogames often appear in the form of sexualized portrayals of women characterized by inappropriately foregrounding female sexuality. Women are shown with highly revealing clothing and engaging in seductive acts. Sexualization may serve as a motivator to adopt congruent gender-related stereotypes in the viewers and, thus, influence beliefs about women in the real world, including negative effects on self-efficacy of women (Behm-Morawitz & Mastro, 2009). In two studies, sexualization had similar adverse effects on participants’ spontaneous judgments of occupational stereotypes and job classification. In a field study (Study 1, N=128), sexualized female game characters were spontaneously associated with jobs of lower prestige (e.g., hairdresser). In contrast, non-sexualized portrayals were linked to jobs of higher status (i.e., physician, educator). This detrimental effect of sexualized portrayal on occupational status was replicated for depictions of male and female fashion models in an online survey (Study 2, N=459). Moreover, this effect was partially mediated by ratings of lower perceived competence for sexualized portrayals of both men and women. The findings of the present studies extend the multifaceted negative effects of sexualization on stereotyping by showing that the resulting spontaneous competence judgments may have detrimental job-related consequences.
The Effects of Sexualized Violence in Video Games on Rape Myth AcceptanceScientific Conference (2017, May)
Previous research has tested the effects of video games on players’ Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA) with regard to either sexual or violent contents. The current study aimed at investigating the combined effects of sexual and violent material in video games on players’ RMA. Participants (N = 82) played either a sexualized female game character or a non-sexualized female game character in a violent video game. Participants’ pre-gaming RMA, gender role attitudes and gaming habits were found to predict RMA after the gaming episode, but sexualized game violence did not. Furthermore, no gender differences were found with regard to RMA. The present findings corroborate the important role of pre-existing gender attitudes for the concept of RMA. In addition, future research should also focus on long-term exposure to video games and players’ gaming habits when examining the effects of sexualized violence in video games on RMA.
Social Engineering by Chocolate – Reciprocity Increases the Willingness to Communicate Personal DataScientific Conference (2017, January 27)
Game character appeal in the eye of the beholder: The role of gendered perceptionsScientific Conference (2016, June)
There are numerous studies on the stereotyped nature of video game characters, but knowledge is sparse on the nature of their appeal to players. Based on prior work in mass media research, this study examined the inclination to play characters of both genders in a third person action game. The results of an online survey with 245 respondents strongly suggested that the actual gender of the game character per se might not necessarily be indicative of its appeal to players, but rather players’ perceptions of the character’s gendered attributes, that is, how masculine or feminine they perceive the respective character. Findings prompt further research on perceptual and cognitive determinants of characters’ appeal for potentially shedding light on the gender gap in video game usage.
Trick with Treat – Reciprocity increases the willingness to communicate personal data.Scientific Conference (2016, June)
Information security is a significant challenge for information and communication technologies (ICT). This includes withstanding attempts of social engineering aimed at manipulating people into divulging confidential information. However, many users are lacking awareness of the risks involved with, for example, password security. In a field survey that tested reciprocal behavior in social interactions, 1,208 participants were asked to reveal their personal password. More than one third of the participants shared their password with an unknown interviewer. In line with the social norm of reciprocity, people were more willing to do so when they received a small incentive (i.e., a piece of chocolate) before they were asked to reveal personal information. Elicitation was even more successful when the incentive was given right before asking for the password. The results, including moderating factors (e.g., age, gender), are discussed in the light of security awareness of ICT users and the mechanisms of psychological persuasion.
Trick with treat – Reciprocity increases the willingness to communicate personal datain Computers in Human Behavior (2016)
Information security is a significant challenge for information and communication technologies (ICT). This includes withstanding attempts of social engineering aimed at manipulating people into divulging confidential information. However, many users are lacking awareness of the risks involved. In a field survey that tested reciprocal behavior in social interactions, 1208 participants were asked to reveal their personal password. In line with the social norm of reciprocity, more than one third of the participants were willing to do so when they received a small incentive. Elicitation was even more successful when the incentive was given right before asking for the password. The results, including moderating factors (e.g., age, gender), are discussed in the light of security awareness of ICT users and the mechanisms of psychological persuasion.
Gendered self-concept: What does it reveal about people’s preference for violent video games?Scientific Conference (2015, May 24)
Do moral concerns predict moral memory after playing violent video games?Scientific Conference (2015, May 23)
Video games and their effects: the Pros and Cons of a fascinating medium.Presentation (2015, February 01)
Parental Mediation of Children’s Television and Video Game Use in Germany: Active and Embedded in Family Processesin Journal of Children and Media (2015), 9(1), 58-76
In a survey study, 158 dyads of German parents and their 9 to 12-year-old children reported on their television and video game (VG) consumption, parental mediation strategies, and family climate. Parents also reported their beliefs concerning media effects. We found that mediation strategies differ from acknowledged media usage conceptions in that parents play a more active role than previously assumed. Restrictive mediation comprises rules and restrictions, but also parents’ educative explanations that media do not reflect reality. Patronizing mediation includes shared media consumption, but also parents commenting on media contents. Pointing out and emphasizing socio-emotional features in the media (e.g., empathy) characterize active-emotional co-use (AEC). Regression analyses revealed that parental fear of negative media effects predicted both AEC and restrictive mediation. Children and parents’ congruent perceptions of family interactions predicted AEC and patronizing VG mediation. Overall, positive ratings of family interactions were associated with children using media less frequently.
Mediennutzung und Medienwirkungin Steffgen, Georges; Michaux, Gilles; Ferring, Dieter (Eds.) Psychologie in Luxemburg. Ein Handuch. (2014)
Empathy and Violent Video Games: Aggression and Prosocial BehaviorBook published by Palgrave Pivot - Palgrave Studies in Cyberpsychology (2014)
The high levels of violence in video games have often been linked to an apparent decrease in empathy and increase in selfishness in Western society, yet surprisingly little research has been conducted on the role of empathy in the context of media. Through three empirical studies, this book explores the mechanisms behind moderating functions of empathy. The chapters discuss factors such as character played and players' interpretation of the character, as well as the effects of inducing empathy before playing a video game upon emotion, cognition and behaviour. The book reveals new insights that will inform the ongoing debates about the effects of violent media content.
Moral disengagement, media preferences, and the effects of violent video gamesScientific Conference (2014, November)
Gendered self-concept: What does it reveal about people's preference for violent video games?Poster (2014, July 17)
Moral disengagement as a predictor of violent video game preferenceScientific Conference (2014, May)
Wenn Männer plötzlich Douglas mögen: Implizite Werbewirkung am Beispiel des Novelty-Effekts für Markenlogos.Scientific Conference (2014, February 08)
Violent gamers’ moral self-regulation: Exploring the effect of private self-awareness on aggressive behaviorScientific Conference (2014)
Bachelor académique en Psychologiein Steffgen, Georges; Michaux, Gilles; Ferring, Dieter (Eds.) Psychologie in Luxemburg - Ein Handbuch (2014)
Aggressive, belligerent, and gruff: Male gender role perception and the preference for violent video gamesScientific Conference (2014)
Gewalthaltige Computerspielein Porsch, T.; Pieschl, S. (Eds.) Neue Medien und deren Schatten (2014)
Like the Good or Bad Guy—Empathy in antisocial and prosocial gamesin Psychology of Popular Media Culture (2014)
Evidence suggests that violent media influence users’ cognitions, affect, and behavior in a negative way, whereas prosocial media have been shown to increase the probability of prosocial behavior. In the present study, it was tested whether empathy moderates these media effects. In two experiments (N = 80 each), inducing empathy by means of a text (Study 1) or a video clip (Study 2) before playing a video game caused differential effects on cognitions and behavior depending on the nature of the subsequent video game: The induction had positive effects on participants’ behavior (i.e., decreasing antisocial and increasing prosocial behavior) after a prosocial game (Study 1), or when participants played a positive hero character in an antisocial game (Study 2). In contrast, empathy increased antisocial behavior and reduced prosocial behavior after playing a mean character in an antisocial game (Study 1 and 2). These findings call attention to the differential effects of empathy depending on game type and game character, thereby questioning the unconditional positive reputation of empathy in the context of video game research.
The glue of the (virtual) social world? Exploring the role of empathy in violent video gamesScientific Conference (2014)
Superman vs. BAD man? - The effects of empathy and game character in violent video gamesin Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (2013), 16(10), 774-778
Spielen mit Gewalt - Gewalt in digitalen Spielenin Gudehus, C.; Christ, M. (Eds.) Gewalt. Ein interdisziplinäres Handbuch (2013)
The Allure of the Forbidden: Breaking Taboos, Frustration, and Attraction to Violent Video Gamesin Psychological Science : A Journal of the American Psychological Society (2013), 24(4), 507-513
Although people typically avoid engaging in antisocial or taboo behaviors, such as cheating and stealing, they may succumb in order to maximize their personal benefit. Moreover, they may be frustrated when the chance to commit a taboo behavior is withdrawn. The present study tested whether the desire to commit a taboo behavior, and the frustration from being denied such an opportunity, increases attraction to violent video games. Playing violent games allegedly offers an outlet for aggression prompted by frustration. In two experiments, some participants had no chance to commit a taboo behavior (cheating in Experiment 1, stealing in Experiment 2), others had a chance to commit a taboo behavior, and others had a withdrawn chance to commit a taboo behavior. Those in the latter group were most attracted to violent video games. Withdrawing the chance for participants to commit a taboo behavior increased their frustration, which in turn increased their attraction to violent video games.
I love violent media, but it may harm others: Personality factors and attitudes towards violent mediaScientific Conference (2012, July)
Macbeth and the joystick: Evidence for moral cleansing after playing a violent video gamein Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (2012), 48
XXth ISRA World Meeting 2012 at the University of Luxembourg. Abstract BookBook published by Université du Luxembourg (2012)
Do we judge a game by its cover? A comparison of crime descriptions in fictitious video games and newspaper articlesScientific Conference (2011, November)
Emotionale Medienstimuli und die moderierende Rolle von Empathie auf EntscheidungsprozesseScientific Conference (2011, September)
Great feelings in small boxes - Empathy as a mitigating factor in video gamesScientific Conference (2011, July)
Are cyber bullies less empathic? Adolescents' cyber bullying behavior and empathic responsivenessin Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (2011), 14(11), 643-648
Bringing empathy into play: On the effects of empathy in violent and nonviolent video gamesin Anacleto, J.L.; Fels, S.; Graham, N.; Kapralos, B.; El-Nasr, M.S.; Stanley, K. (Eds.) Entertainment Computing - ICEC 2011: 10th International Conference, ICEC 2011, Vancouver, BC, Canada, October 5-8, 2011, 6972 (2011)
While violent media has adverse effects on cognition, emotion and behavior, prosocial content promotes these variables in a prosocial way. Greater individual levels of empathy as well as increasing the level of empathy in media content typically foster prosocial behavior and reduce aggression. Two experiments replicated game content findings, and also showed that inducing empathy prior to a video game had a positive influence on behavior. However, under certain circumstances, inducing empathy before playing a violent video game may even have negative effects on behavior. As empathy is a common tool in prevention programs, the implications of these findings are discussed.
Besser werben mit Liebe und Hass? Zur Wirkung empathie- und aggressionsbezogener Wörter in einem gewalthaltigen RennspielScientific Conference (2010, September)
Mitleid mit dem Gegner: Fällt das Spielen schwer? Wirkung einer Empathie-Induktion auf Erleben und Verhalten in einem gewalthaltigen VideospielScientific Conference (2010, September)
Empathy for the devil? Empathy and prosocial behavior in violent video gamesScientific Conference (2010, July)
Kinder, Jugendliche und Videospiele: Was Eltern wissen sollten (II) – Was macht Videospiele attraktiv? Wie können Eltern handeln?in Kuck mat wat deng Kanner maachen! (2010)
Kinder, Jugendliche und Videospiele: Was Eltern wissen sollten (I) – Videospiele und ihre Wirkungin Kuck mat wat deng Kanner maachen! (2010)
Violence for the masses: The impact of violence in electronic mass mediain Herzog-Evans, Martine (Ed.) Transnational criminology manual (2010)
Effects of traditional bullying and empathy on cyberbullyingin Proceedings of the XIV European Conference on Developmental Psychology ECDP. (2010)
Audioworld: A spatial audio tool for acoustic and cognitive learningin In R. Nordahl et al. (Eds.), HAID 2010, LNCS 6306, pp. 46–54. (2010)
The present paper introduces Audioworld, a novel game-like application for goal-oriented computer-supported learning (CSL). In Audioworld, participants localize sound emitting objects depending on their spatial position. Audioworld serves as a flexible low cost test bed for a broad range of human cognitive functions. This comprises the systematic training of spatial navigation and localization skills, but also of verbal skills and phonetic knowledge known to be essential in grammar literacy, for example. The general applicability of Audioworld was confirmed in a pilot study: users rated the overall application concept novel, entertaining, and rewarding.
Click or strike: Realistic versus standard game controls in violent video games and their effects on aggressionin In H. S. Yang et al. (Eds.), ICEC 2010, LNCS 6243. pp. 171-182. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer (2010)
The motion detection technology used in innovative game controlling devices like the Nintendo Wii-Remote® provides experiences of realistic and immersive game play. In the present study (N=62) it was tested whether this technology may also provoke stronger aggression-related effects than standard forms of interaction (i.e., keyboard and mouse). With the aid of a gesture recognition algorithm, a violent action role-playing game was developed to compare different modes of interaction within an otherwise identical game environment. In the Embodied Gestures condition participants performed realistic striking movements that caused the virtual character to attack and kill other in-game characters with a club or sword. In the Standard Interaction condition attacks resulted from simple mouse clicks. After the game session, participants showed a similar increase in negative feelings in both groups. When provided with ambiguous scenarios, however, participants in the Embodied Gestures condition tended to show more hostile cognitions (i.e., anger) than the Standard Interaction group. Results further corroborate the complexity of aggression-related effects in violent video games, especially with respect to situational factors like realistic game controls.
Who chooses what in the game store? The relationship between game preferences and dimensions of aggressionScientific Conference (2009, November)
The role of empathy for adolescents' cyberbullying behaviourin Kwartalnik Pedagogiczny = Pedagogical Quarterly (2009), 214(4), 183-198
The negative relationship between empathy and aggressive behaviour has been demonstrated in meta-analyses (e.g., Jolliffe & Farrington 2004). On the basis of these findings it was hypothesized that a lack of empathic responsiveness may also be a characteristic of cyber bullies. In the present study 2,070 students of Luxembourg secondary schools completed an online survey that included a German version of the Cyberbullying questionnaire (Smith et al. 2008) and a newly developed empathy scale. ANOVAs indicated significant differences between cyber bullies and non-cyber bullies. Most importantly, it was observed that cyber bullies demonstrated less empathic responsiveness than non-bullies. The findings confirm and substantially extend the research on the relationship between empathy and aggressive behaviour. From an educational point of view the findings suggest that training of empathy skills might be an important tool in decreasing cyberbullying.
Iterative design of mobile learning systems for school projectsin Technology, Instruction, Cognition & Learning (2009), 6(4), 235-251
Different approaches have been proposed on the design and development of digital and interactive technology in mobile learning contexts. In line with recent findings in literature, we suggest that mobile learning systems benefit from a criteria-based iterative design and development process that incorporates evaluation results of mobile learning scenarios based on school curricula. Underlying these scenarios is a holistic, socio-technical system view, which makes allowance for the complex dynamics between teachers, students, researchers, the multiplicity of contextual factors, and the specifications and requirements of the digital devices and applications, as well as their interrelations. Five school project scenarios are described, as well as the evaluation process involved that served as an integral part in creating a dynamic optimization process for the design and development of digital and interactive systems that follow efficiency criteria for mobile learning (i.e., construction, contextualization, communication, and control). In addition, we argue that mobile systems should also allow for users’ or students’ participatory activities in the preparation phase to bridge the gap between indoor and outdoor learning.
Online communities and online community buildingin Khosrow-Pour, M. (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technologie (2008)
"This set of books represents a detailed compendium of authoritative, research-based entries that define the contemporary state of knowledge on technology" - Provided by publisher.
When items become victims: Brand memory in violent and nonviolent gamesScientific journal (2008)
Farbe erinnern. Farbinformationen in impliziten und expliziten GedächtnistestsBook published by VDM Verlag (2007)
Using iterative design and development for mobile learning systems in school projectsin Proceedings of ICEC CELDA 2007 (2007)
The mere exposure effect is sensitive to color information: Evidence for color effects in a perceptual implicit memory testin Experimental Psychology (2006), 53(3), 233-345
Using the Moles and the Mini Moles software sytem to bridge the gap between indoor and outdoor learning experiencesin IADIS International Journal on WWW/Internet (2006), 4(2), 48-58
Bubble Caster – a mixed reality children application for interactive shadow playin Proceedings of IDC 2005, Boulder, Colorado, USA (2005)
In this paper, we describe how the mixed reality application, Bubble Caster, technically works and how we involved children ages 7 to 8 in the design process. The children used their storytelling and programming skills to produce the interactive, mixed reality shadow play, The Magic Cauldron. The project enabled the children to acquire elementary programming skills in a playful learning environment.
The interactive and multi-protagonist film: A hypermovie on DVDin Rauterberg, M. (Ed.) ICEC2004, LNCS 3166, Eindhoven 1-3 September 2004 (2004)
The interactive and multi-protagonist (IMP) film is a novel concept that extends the hypermovie genre. The IMP film is based on the common structures of linear narrative storytelling and provides the viewer with various decision points within the evolving story that support an active choice among different protagonists’ views. The viewer will thus be elevated to the role of a decision maker. They individually and actively determine the story flow. The IMP film substantially extends the currently offered interactivity of DVDs which is primarily limited to navigation. The production process of an IMP film will be illustrated by presenting Deine Wahrheit (Your Truth), a DVD-based movie. The results of an empirical study support the advantages of the IMP film compared to a traditional single-protagonist version of the film. The potential of the IMP film as a new genre in hypermovie will be discussed.
Der interaktive Perspektivenfilm als Hyperfilm auf Video-DVDin In R. Keil–Slawik, H. Selke, & G. Szwillus (Hrsg.), Mensch und Computer 2004: Allgegenwärtige Interaktion (S. 169-178) (2004)
Der interaktive Perspektivenfilm (IPF), eine besondere Form des Hyperfilms, unterstützt unter Beibehaltung der bewährten linearen Erzählweise des Mediums Film zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten des Verlaufs einer Geschichte die aktive Auswahl aus konkurrierenden Erzählperspektiven. Der Zuschauer wird auf diese Weise zum Entscheidungsträger und Gestalter des Informationsflusses. Die bisher weitestgehend auf Navigation reduzierte Interaktivität des Mediums Video-DVD wird somit wesentlich erweitert. Anhand des Filmprojekts „Deine Wahrheit“ wird der Produktionsprozess eines IPF von der Konzeption der Charaktere über das Verfassen des Drehbuchs und der digitalen-technischen Produktion und Nachbearbeitung des Filmmaterials sowie dem abschließenden DVD-Authoring vorgestellt. Belege für den Mehrwert des IPF resultieren aus dem empirischen Vergleich mit einer herkömmlichen, perspektivisch-linearen Version des Films. Das Potenzial dieses neuen Genres wird diskutiert.
Preparing a cup of tea and writing a letter: Do script-based actions influence the representation of a real environment?in Freksa, C.; Habel, C.; Wender, K.-F. (Eds.) Spatial Cognition II: An interdisciplinary approach to representing and processing spatial knowledge (2000)
Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of having people carry out a sequence of actions in an environment on the spatial representation of the environment. The actions were linked by a common theme (e.g., writing a letter). In Experiment 1, the spatial memory test consisted of an implicit and an explicit distance estimation task. Participants who carried out a sequence of script-based actions inside a room showed poor spatial knowledge for this particular room (as compared to a control room or control participants) in disregarding actual distances in their estimations. This deficit could be due to a loss of or to a poorer encoding of spatial information. The results of Experiment 2, however, suggest that the effects observed in Experiment 1 seem to depend on the spatial task used. With a positioning task at testing, we could not find any evidence that could be attributed to an action-based change of a spatial mental representation. In sum, the general hypothesis of action-based influences on mental spatial representations was not corroborated by convincing data.
Picture or word superiority effects in implicit memory: levels of processing, attention and retrieval constraintsin Swiss Journal of Psychology = Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Psychologie = Revue suisse de psychologie (1998), 51(1), 33-46
Previous research with implicit memory tests has shown that the typical picture superiority effect with explicit memory instructions can he reversed on verbal perceptual tests (e.g., word-stem completion task). Two experiments explored whether the picture superiority effect can be restored with a verbal conceptual test of implicit memory (i.e., category instance generation task). In the first experiment, participants received either a perceptual test or a conceptual test of implicit memory. Furthermore, in the study phase level of processing was varied. With a superficial orienting task, a word superiority effect was found on the perceptual test and a picture superiority effect was observed on the conceptual test. Only with a semantic orienting task, priming was found for pictures on the perceptual test and for words on the conceptual test. In the second experiment, this pattern of findings was replicated with a superficial orienting task in the study phase. Once again priming for pictures on the perceptual test and priming for words on the conceptual test was found to be at chance level. Dividing attention in the study phase did not influence these results.
