
Negative consequences of video games have been a concern since their inception. However, one under‐researched area is the potential negative effects of sexualized video game content on players. This study analyzed the consequences of sexualized video game content on online sexual harassment against male and female targets. We controlled for a number of variables that might be related to online sexual harassment (i.e., trait aggressiveness, ambivalent sexism, online disinhibition). Participants (N = 211) played a video game with either sexualized or non‐sexualized female characters. After gameplay, they had the opportunity to sexually harass a male or a female partner by sending them sexist jokes. Based on the General Aggression Model integrated with the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression (Anderson & Anderson, ), we predicted that playing the game with sexualized female characters would increase sexual harassment against female targets. Results were consistent with these predictions. Sexual harassment levels toward a female partner were higher for participants who played the game with sexualized female characters than for participants who played the same game with non‐sexualized female characters. These findings indicate that sexualization of female characters in a video game can be a sufficient condition to provoke online sexual harassment toward women.
Adult, Male, Sciences sociales & comportementales, psychologie, Internet, Social, industrial & organizational psychology, objectification, sexualization, Aggression, general aggression model, Psychologie sociale, industrielle & organisationnelle, Young Adult, Sexual Harassment, Social Dominance, Social Perception, Video Games, Social & behavioral sciences, psychology, Humans, sexual harassment, Female, confluence model
Adult, Male, Sciences sociales & comportementales, psychologie, Internet, Social, industrial & organizational psychology, objectification, sexualization, Aggression, general aggression model, Psychologie sociale, industrielle & organisationnelle, Young Adult, Sexual Harassment, Social Dominance, Social Perception, Video Games, Social & behavioral sciences, psychology, Humans, sexual harassment, Female, confluence model
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 40 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
