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November 2012 - present
Publications
Publications (43)
Media effects theories are often reduced to simplistic formulations such as “Magic Bullet” or “Hypodermic Needle.” While the images seem powerful, the alleged theoretical explanations within this paradigm are highly questionable. In this chapter, we take a critical look at magic bullet theory by examining different theoretical frameworks that were...
In the original publication, there was a mistake in Table 1, Table 3 and Table 5 [...]
Introduction
Existing research has focused on sex and gender to explain video games playing motivations and enjoyment. This study investigated gender traits and sexual orientation to further explain why people play games and what leads to gaming enjoyment.
Methods
Participants ( N = 198) answered questions on gender traits (positive/negative femin...
Studies into the effects of persuasive games – games designed to change players’ attitudes – have not yet yielded insight into the psychological processes involved in persuasion through procedural rhetoric. As a type of nonverbal argument embedded in game systems, it is an open question whether procedural rhetoric leads players to elaborate on a me...
When a moral panic happens, society believes that a group of people and/or their behaviour is responsible for a threat to society – without any evidentiary basis. How does the target group respond? In the video game context, gamers may fear that their pastime will be blamed for mass shootings leading to social stigma. Group members so threatened ar...
Influencers belong to the daily media diet of many adolescents. As role models, they have the potential to play a crucial role in the identity construction of their viewers. In the age of social media, such role models may now be found more locally – in the same city – and perhaps with more diverse backgrounds. This may be particularly valuable to...
p>This intervention study investigated how much impact a specific peer-coaching (Peer2Peer) for refugee adolescents has on different factors of well-being for both sides: refugee adolescents (peers, N = 16) and their local peer coaches (buddies, N = 16). Next to pre- and post-tests, four buddies reflected on the process via weekly media diaries. We...
In a world of continuous migration, super-diverse cities consist of a multitude of migrants and non-migrants from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Yet one characteristic they all have in common is the place where they currently live. In addition, both groups are active users of social media, especially the young. Social media provide platforms to...
Background. Research on playing motivation and passion for MMORPGs and gender has so far mainly focused on biological sex and neglected variables related to social gender such as masculinity and femininity. As some playing motivations and obsessive passion are assumed to be related to problematic game play, problematic game play is still considered...
The same computer games are played by youths all over the world, and worldwide games become matters of concern in relation to children: worries rise about addiction, violence, education, time, and economy. Yet, these concerns vary depending upon where they are situated: in families, legal contexts, industry or science. They also play out differentl...
Recent research has found that age and playing experience moderates people’s opinions regarding video games’ negative effects while the perception of the cause of game play – game play motivation – was not considered so far. This study investigated how age and playing expertise influence perceived game play motivations. A survey was performed on a...
Playing host to articles written in different disciplines and perspectives on the shared subject of digital gaming, the current special issue means to galvanise interest in and recognition of the nascent field of games research. Despite being little more than 50 years old, the medium of digital games has seen a meteoric rise to economic and cultura...
Internet gaming disorder is currently listed in the DSM-not in order to diagnose such a disorder but to encourage research to investigate this phenomenon. Even whether it is still questionable if Internet Gaming Disorder exists and can be judged as a form of addiction, problematic game play is already very well researched to cause problems in daily...
Heavy metal music is often associated with death and dying by nonfans whereas members of this subculture report that listening to metal music is their escape from depression and even helpful against death-related thoughts. According to terror management theory, self-esteem and cultural worldview serve as a symbolic, 2-component buffer system workin...
Recent research found that playing video games is able to serve mood management purposes as well as contribute to gratifications such as need satisfaction. Both aspects can foster the enjoyment as entertainment experience. The current study explores the question of how in-game success as a prerequisite for satisfying the need for competence and aut...
Mood repair is a well-established function of media usage implying distraction from negative mood and the modification of unpleasant arousal states. Recent studies have found interactive media, in particular computer games, to be more effective in repairing mood than noninteractive media. It has been suggested that this is due to the higher task de...
The potential dangers of digital games for the development of game addiction among their players are discussed in media as well as in scientific research. Research so far has identified several potential risk factors among social settings, traits, and playing motives. The present study provides first insights into the perceptions of risk factors by...
A series of 4 experiments investigated the differences in processing person information that was presented either listwise or in a text description which linked the information coherently. Evidence was found for the hypothesis that a text description enhanced Ss' memory and attributional inferences about the personality of the described person. Onl...
Most studies investigating the effects of violence in digital games on aggression and physiological arousal feature two groups of participants either playing a violent or a nonviolent game. However, violent content is usually not the only dimension on which the games used in these studies differ. This raises the issue of possibly confounding variab...
Most studies investigating the effects of violence in digital games on aggression and physiological arousal feature two groups of participants either playing a violent or a nonviolent game. However, violent content is usually not the only dimension on which the games used in these studies differ. This raises the issue of possibly confounding variab...
Violent digital game play has repeatedly been discussed to be strongly related to aggression and emotional instability. Thus, digital game players have to defend against these prejudices through emphasizing positive game-related concepts such as achievement, social interaction, and immersion. We experimentally investigated which positive- and negat...
Censorship of violent digital games, especially first-person shooter (FPS) games, is broadly discussed between generations. While older people are concerned about possible negative influences of these games, not only players but also nonplayers of the younger net-generation seem to deny any association with real aggressive behavior. Our study aimed...
Three studies explored whether cognitive dissonance in smokers is reduced immediately or remains constant due to the perceived health risk. Because dissonance-reducing strategies might occur very quickly and previous research has focused only on ratings concerning health risk, we additionally analyzed response latencies and psychophysiological arou...
We experimentally investigated whether forensic psychologists differ from laymen in their use of heuristic and integrated information processing depending on the given task and category fit of information. Participants' task was either forming an impression or predicting the development of a fictitious rapist and a fictitious robber-and-murderer. C...
As long as heavy metal music exists, it has been regarded as aggressive, depressive, and dangerous. Especially people, who do not like and listen to this kind of music seem to have prejudice against the themes of heavy metal songs. One major example is the German rock band Rammstein, whose lyrics are often judged as brutal and even right-wing extre...
There is empirical evidence that mortality salience (MS) influences effects of advertisements. For instance, mere exposure to high-value goods can enhance cultural worldview and self-esteem and thus act as a buffer against existential anguish. Besides cultural worldview and self-esteem, close relationships can help to reduce existential anguish. Dr...
An experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of cigarette warning labels on cognitive dissonance in smokers. Smokers' and non-smokers' risk perceptions with regard to smoking-related diseases were measured with ratings as well as with response latencies before and after presentation of warning labels. Results indicated an influence of warn...
Because of recent school shootings, there has been a broad public discussion on whether playing violent digital games causes aggression. Current empirical findings of media violence research on aggression are ambiguous. It is also unclear whether the positive correlation is due to active playing or to media reports. Media reports may lead people wh...
Three experiments investigated the processing of person descriptions that consisted of a number of statements about the characteristics of a person. In one condition, each statement referred to a single person attribute and in the other condition, causal and additive conjunctions to verbally link the statements were introduced. Evidence was found t...
Zusammenfassung: In diesem Artikel werden die Vorteile von Lesezeiten- und Blickbewegungsmethoden für Prozessanalysen in der sozialen Kognitionsforschung vorgestellt. Zunächst werden die theoretischen und methodischen Grundlagen der Messung von Lesezeiten dargestellt. Anhand von zwei Experimenten wird die Anwendung von zwei verschiedenen Methoden b...
Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Eindrucksbildung aus Personbeschreibun- gen. Im beruflichen Alltag werden viele Beurteilungen, beispielsweise Persona- lentscheidungen oder Gerichtsurteile, auf der Basis von Personbeschreibungen gefällt. Aber auch im privaten Kontext begegnen wir ständig Personbeschrei- bungen, auf deren Grundlage wir uns ei...
