Other-Dehumanization Rather Than Self-Dehumanization Mediates the Relationship Between Violent Video Game Exposure and Aggressive Behavior

Recent experimental studies demonstrated playing violent video games induced denying humanness to other people and suggested that other-dehumanization might account for the effect of violent video games on aggressive behavior. However, whether long-term violent video game exposure (VVGE) correlates with other-dehumanization has not been confirmed and the role of self-dehumanization in this effect is still controversial. Thus, this study attempted to provide correlational evidence and examined direct and indirect associations of VVGE and aggressive behavior through self- or other-dehumanization in 612 adolescents. We revealed other-dehumanization was linked with VVGE and it mediated the relationship between VVGE and aggressive behavior. In addition, we did not observe the predictive effect of VVGE for self-dehumanization. Our study suggested the short-term effect of playing a violent video game on other-dehumanization, observed in previous experimental investigations, could be extended to the long-term effect of VVGE. Perceiving others as less human, but not the players themselves, accounted for the effect of VVGE on aggressive behavior.