Aims of study 2

Study 2 by Bastian et al. (2011) built on the findings from Study 1 to explore how violent video games might affect perceptions of humanity. The researchers aimed to isolate the role of violence in games, rather than other factors like competition or non-human characters.

Key objectives

• Addressing competition as a factor - Study 1 involved players competing against each other, which might have influenced results due to rivalry rather than violence alone. Study 2 tested whether similar effects occurred when players cooperated against computer-generated opponents.
• Testing game realism - In Study 1, characters in Mortal Kombat were not human-like, potentially leading players to see themselves as just another game character. Study 2 used a first-person shooter game to check if more realistic human depictions changed perceptions of humanity.
• Comparing violent and non-violent games - Call of Duty served as the violent game, while Top Spin Tennis was the non-violent control.

This design helped determine if violence itself caused dehumanisation, independent of competitive elements or character types.

Procedures in study 2

The method in Study 2 focused on cooperative gameplay to remove the competitive aspect from Study 1. Participants played in pairs, but instead of facing each other, they teamed up against computer-programmed avatars. This setup allowed researchers to examine the impact of violence in a collaborative context.

Key steps in the procedure:

1. Game selection and assignment - Pairs were randomly assigned to either the violent condition (Call of Duty) or the non-violent condition (Top Spin Tennis).
2. Gameplay setup - Participants played cooperatively as a team for 20 minutes, working together to defeat computer-generated opponents rather than competing against one another.
3. Questionnaire administration - After gameplay, participants completed a questionnaire measuring themes like frustration, enjoyment, excitement, and attributions of humanity to themselves and their opponent (co-player).
4. Data collection - Responses were scored to compare mean values and standard deviations (SD) between conditions.

This cooperative approach ensured that any dehumanisation effects could be attributed more directly to the violent content, as rivalry was minimised.

Results from study 2

The results highlighted differences between the violent and non-violent conditions, particularly in perceptions of humanity. Data were collected via questionnaires and presented as mean scores and standard deviations (SD).

Results for game experience themes

Results for attributions of humanity

Self-humanity scores were lower in the violent condition, indicating participants felt less human after playing Call of Duty. However, perceptions of the opponent's humanity showed little difference between conditions.

These findings demonstrate that violent gameplay reduced self-perceptions of humanity, but this effect did not extend to the co-player in a cooperative setting.

Conclusions from study 2

The conclusions emphasise that violent video games can alter self-perceptions, even without direct competition or non-human characters. Playing violently reduces one's sense of humanity, but this does not necessarily lead to negative emotions like feeling bad overall. Instead, it specifically influences how human individuals feel about themselves.

This occurs in first-person shooter games like Call of Duty and during collaborative play against computer avatars. As a result, the study supports the idea that engaging in virtual violence can lead to self-dehumanisation, providing a clearer link to the violent content itself rather than other game elements.

Overall findings and implications

Bastian et al.'s research across both studies shows that cyber violence in video games leads individuals to see themselves as less human. This supports broader psychological observations that people who commit violent acts, even virtually, experience dehumanisation as a consequence of their actions.

Key implications

• Self-dehumanisation - Players feel less human when directing violence at computer-generated avatars, suggesting the act of violence itself is key.
• Dehumanisation of others - This effect extends to opponents only when violence is targeted at another human player, as seen in Study 1's competitive setup.
• Broader relevance - The findings link video game violence to real-world dehumanisation processes, where perpetrators of brutality may view themselves and others as less human to cope with their actions.