I find interest in the notion of aggression linked to unfamiliarity. Regarding competitions such as war, athletic events, debates, video games, etc. it would be reasonable to expect that one would feel a sense of reassurance and safety with their team - full of people they know. Along with this, on the other end it would be expected that when emotions of anger are felt, one would more willingly unleash them on a stranger than a friend. This works in MOST cases... Since the main topic in discussion is video games, I'll touch on this there. I think the truth of this notion depends on the type of game in question. Violent games (war games, zombie-hunts, etc...) that evoke less of a friendly-yet-competitive edge and more of a "fight-for-your-life" sort of feel, would make aggression towards enemies or strangers or opposing teams soar to new limits, and likewise bonds between allies. During a football video game however, the attitude changes slightly. In this situation a gamer would be more likely to want to beat his friend and prove superiority and skill, and it would almost be less of a thrill to verse a total stranger. I completely agree with the existence of a connection between these topics, I just question whether its an exclusive connective. I don't think it is.
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I find interest in the notion of aggression linked to unfamiliarity. Regarding competitions such as war, athletic events, debates, video games, etc. it would be reasonable to expect that one would feel a sense of reassurance and safety with their team - full of people they know. Along with this, on the other end it would be expected that when emotions of anger are felt, one would more willingly unleash them on a stranger than a friend. This works in MOST cases... Since the main topic in discussion is video games, I'll touch on this there. I think the truth of this notion depends on the type of game in question. Violent games (war games, zombie-hunts, etc...) that evoke less of a friendly-yet-competitive edge and more of a "fight-for-your-life" sort of feel, would make aggression towards enemies or strangers or opposing teams soar to new limits, and likewise bonds between allies. During a football video game however, the attitude changes slightly. In this situation a gamer would be more likely to want to beat his friend and prove superiority and skill, and it would almost be less of a thrill to verse a total stranger. I completely agree with the existence of a connection between these topics, I just question whether its an exclusive connective. I don't think it is.