Moral Disengagement Strategies in Videogame Players and Sports Players

Introduction

There has been much research exploring the impact of violent content in videogames on young people in terms of aggressive cognition, behaviour, and affect (for reviews, see Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Anderson, Anderson, Shibuya et al., 2010; Ferguson & Kilburn, 2010; Hollingdale & Greitemeyer, 2014). Recent research has suggested that the element of competition in a game, rather than the violent content, may explain the negative effects of exposure to violent videogames (Adachi & Willoughby, 2011; Waddell & Peng, 2014). In both virtual and real-life competitive environments, there is evidence of aggression, cheating, and disrespect in in relation to sporting environments (e.g., Boardley & Kavussani, 2007; Corrion, Long, Smith & d’Arripe Lougueville, 2009; Caliskan, 2013). In violent videogame play (e.g., Bastian, Jetten & Radke, 2012; Gabbiadini, Andrighetto & Volpato, 2012, Gabbiadini, Riva, Andrighetto et al., 2014), it has been argued that players may justify any such negative behaviour, and while the levels of aggression across these two settings may not be similar in content, they can represent a violation of personal standards of acceptable behaviour, and can create a personal dilemma for players.

Recent research (e.g., Gabbiadini, Andrighetto & Volpato, 2012, 2014; Hartmann, Krakowiak & Tsay-Vogel, 2014; Richmond & Wilson, 2008; Wang et al., 2017) has explored the role that cognitive distortions (e.g., moral disengagement) may play in making media violence more acceptable to individuals. The present study is designed to build on this, and to explore if Bandura’s (1991, 2001) Theory of Moral Disengagement provides a useful framework for understanding the willingness and ability to engage in virtual aggression, whilst comparing this process with a similar process in a competitive real-life environment (i.e., with sports players). Moral disengagement (MD) may therefore be seen as a cognitive mechanism facilitating gamers to act aggressively in game settings, but may also be associated with a reduction in concern for victims of such acts. Moral disengagement and moral considerations are key elements of Bandura’s (1991) Social Cognitive Theory of Moral Thought and Action. The concept of moral disengagement refers to a set of cognitive mechanisms that are part of a self-regulatory internal process. These psychosocial processes are believed to inhibit moral standards and prevent one from engaging in behaviour that is contrary to one’s moral behaviour standards.