Craving for violence: The role of Dark Personality traits in violent video game preference

Background: Violent and antisocial video games are popular, but little is known why players are drawn to these kinds of games. This present research tested whether there is a connection between player preferences for violent games and characteristics of so called “dark” personality traits. Method: Relying on a user-centered approach, three online studies (N=662) examined the role of “dark” personality traits together with a novel violent game preference short scale. Results: Study 1 and 2 indicated strong correlations between trait aggression and players’ interest in explicit depictions of blood and gore and games that provide experiences of domination and antisocial behavior. In Study 3, the new scale was tested together with participants’ trait aggression, trait empathy, and the Dark Triad traits of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. Games featuring violence and the possibility of antisocial behavior were found to meet the needs of players who lack empathy and show callous, impulsive, and exploitive (but not narcissistic) attributes. Conclusions: Findings of individual motivators for game violence significantly extend the literature that is predominantly focusing on the effects of playing these games. Apparently, game preferences and playing habits fulfill individual needs that are at least partly determined by particular, i.e. “dark”, personality characteristics.