The Modern Hunter–Gatherer Hunts Aliens and Gathers Power-Ups: The Evolutionary Appeal of Violent Video Games and How They Can Be Beneficial

Abstract

Video game violence has been the focus on much recent concern among politicians, activist and some social scientists. Evolutionary psychology can help explain the origins of fascination of many individuals, particularly males, with violent games. Interest in violent video games can be viewed as an extension of normal and adaptive aggression instincts, in which video games provide a safe arena in which individuals can express aggression and manage mood without actually causing harm to others. An evolutionary model of violent game interest, the Catalyst Model, is presented and contrasted with traditional social learning models of video game violence use. It is argued that the harmful effects of violent game exposure on the majority of players is negligible whereas violent games may provide a useful platform for positive development in education, visuospatial cognition and social networking.