title: Brief report: Does exposure to violent video games increase moral disengagement among adolescents?
abstract: Several studies have repeatedly shown that violent/action video games increase aggressive tendencies. The present study provides preliminary evidence that exposure to these games also affects the process of moral disengagement. High school students (N = 385) were recruited, and the impact of both recency and frequency of their exposure to the video game Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA; 2008) on moral disengagement was explored. Results showed that exposure to GTA predicted higher levels of moral disengagement. Recency of exposure had a primary impact on the considered mechanisms of moral disengagement. These findings provide insights into a relevant detrimental effect of exposure to video games, to our knowledge not explored yet. Future research is needed to provide evidence of the causal link in the observed relationships.
authors: University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Psychology, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy. ale.gabbiadini@gmail.com
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Gabbiadini
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Andrighetto
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Volpato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000941:ethics* / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018910:Video Games / Q000941:ethics* / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence; D055815:Young Adult