Macbeth and the Joystick: Evidence for moral cleansing after playing a violent video game
Abstract: The “Macbeth effect” denotes the phenomenon that people wish to cleanse themselves physically when their moral self has been threatened. In this article we argue that such a threat to one''s moral self may also result from playing a violent video game, especially when the game involves vio...
| Published in: | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology Vol. 48; no. 6; pp. 1356 - 1361 |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article |
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Academic Press Inc.
Nov2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=79558868&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 79558868 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00221031 JEZ jtl: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology issn: 00221031 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Nov2012 vid: 48 iid: 6 pid: 735 pub: Academic Press Inc. artinfo: ui: 79558868 10.1016/j.jesp.2012.07.001 ppf: 1356 ppct: 5 formats: tig: atl: Macbeth and the Joystick: Evidence for moral cleansing after playing a violent video game aug: au: Gollwitzer, Mario Melzer, André affil: Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Psychology, Gutenbergstrasse 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany University of Luxembourg, Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education, route de Diekirch, 7220 Walferdange, Luxembourg su: Conduct of life Video games Violence Students Psychological distress Joysticks Evidence Hygiene products sug: subj: Conduct of life Video games Violence Students Psychological distress Soap and cleaning compound manufacturing Toilet Preparation Manufacturing Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing Home entertainment equipment merchant wholesalers Video game design and development services Video game publishers Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing Joysticks Evidence Hygiene products keyword: Macbeth effect Moral cleansing Moral distress Video game experience Violent video games Macbeth effect Moral cleansing Moral distress Video game experience Violent video games ab: Abstract: The “Macbeth effect” denotes the phenomenon that people wish to cleanse themselves physically when their moral self has been threatened. In this article we argue that such a threat to one''s moral self may also result from playing a violent video game, especially when the game involves violence against humans. The cleansing effect should be particularly strong among inexperienced players who do not play video games on a regular basis, because frequent players may apply other strategies to alleviate any moral concerns. Seventy students played one of two violent video games and were then asked to select 4 out of 10 gift products, half of which were hygiene products. Inexperienced players reported more moral distress when the game involved violence against humans (compared to violence against objects), and selected more hygiene products in this condition than frequent video game players. Frequent players, on the other hand, reported less moral distress, irrespective of the game they played. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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