Abstract

Participants (N = 73) in the present research were assigned to play a violent videogame (Super Smash Brothers) with either a supportive or an ambivalent friend. Orthogonal to this manipulation, participants were assigned to play the game either competitively or cooperatively. Subsequent aggression toward their friend was assessed by measuring participants' competitive or cooperative behavior in a Prisoner's Dilemma game. Results revealed no differences in aggression as a function of friendship type or game strategy, although means were in predicted directions. The influence of context on exposure to violent media is discussed, as are issues of power and sample type as possible reasons for the nonsignificant findings.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2011-07-11

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd4626

Keywords

videogame, prisoner's dilemma, aggression

Language

English

Included in

Psychology Commons

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