Violent Videogames, Telepresence, Presumed Influence, and Support for Taking Restrictive and Protective Actions

Abstract

This study examines the perceived impact of violent videogames from an influence of presumed influence perspective. The role of perceived telepresence and the amount of time spent playing violent videogames in influencing people’s beliefs about the effects of such games were hypothesized and tested. Results of data collected from a random sample of 528 respondents in China showed that playing violent videogames was significantly related to perceived telepresence. Furthermore, perceived telepresence was found to be the strongest predictor of the presumed influence of violent videogames on others. Finally, the presumed influence of violent videogames was positively correlated with the intention to take actions to protect others from the harms of such games.