Özet:

Violent video games have become a popular leisure activity in recent years. Aggression theories have been relatively limited in explaining the effects of video game violence as they focus on a specific component of aggression such as cognition, arousal, affect, or behaviour. The General Aggression Model attempted to explain all the possible effects of consuming violent video games throughout the process by combining many previous theoretical explanations with a holistic approach. Accordingly, the model suggested that it was associated with increased aggressive cognitions, arousal, affect, and behaviour that occur during or immediately after consuming such content. Further, The General Aggression Model has suggested that repeatedly consuming violent video games causes desensitization to aggressive stimuli over time. Numerous studies conducted using different methods in the field have provided evidence to support that violent video games are associated with an increase in aggressive cognition, arousal, affection, behaviour and a decrease in positive outcomes, such as empathy, prosocial behaviour, and sensitivity to aggression directed towards others. The results of these studies conducted with an increasing interest in this field and the results of meta-analysis studies, which have gathered the findings of these studies over the years, provided evidence that there is a consistent relationship between violent video game playing and aggression. On the other hand, the number of studies conducted in our country on violent video games effects are limited. In this regard, the present study aims to draw attention to the field by reviewing the underlying theoretical explanations and some empirical evidence on violent video games and aggression within the framework of General Aggression Theory.

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