Riva Paolo, Gabbiadini Alessandro, Romero Lauro Leonor J, Andrighetto Luca, Volpato Chiara, Bushman Brad J
Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
Department of Educational Science - Psychology Unit, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2017 Apr;17(2):452-459. doi: 10.3758/s13415-016-0490-8.
Research has shown that exposure to violent media increases aggression. However, the neural underpinnings of violent-media-related aggression are poorly understood. Additionally, few experiments have tested hypotheses concerning how to reduce violent-media-related aggression. In this experiment, we focused on a brain area involved in the regulation of aggressive impulses-the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC). We tested the hypothesis that brain polarization through anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over rVLPFC reduces aggression related to violent video games. Participants (N = 79) were randomly assigned to play a violent or a nonviolent video game while receiving anodal or sham stimulation. Afterward, participants aggressed against an ostensible partner using the Taylor aggression paradigm (Taylor Journal of Personality, 35, 297-310, 1967), which measures both unprovoked and provoked aggression. Among those who received sham stimulation, unprovoked aggression was significantly higher for violent-game players than for nonviolent-game players. Among those who received anodal stimulation, unprovoked aggression did not differ for violent- and nonviolent-game players. Thus, anodal stimulation reduced unprovoked aggression in violent-game players. No significant effects were found for provoked aggression, suggesting tit-for-tat responding. This experiment sheds light on one possible neural underpinning of violent-media-related aggression-the rVLPFC, a brain area involved in regulating negative feelings and aggressive impulses.
研究表明，接触暴力媒体会增加攻击性。然而，与暴力媒体相关的攻击性的神经基础却鲜为人知。此外，很少有实验对如何减少与暴力媒体相关的攻击性的假设进行检验。在本实验中，我们聚焦于一个参与调节攻击冲动的脑区——右侧腹外侧前额叶皮层（rVLPFC）。我们检验了这样一个假设：通过对rVLPFC进行阳极经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）实现脑极化，能够减少与暴力电子游戏相关的攻击性。参与者（N = 79）被随机分配在接受阳极刺激或伪刺激的同时玩暴力或非暴力电子游戏。之后，参与者使用泰勒攻击范式（泰勒《个性杂志》，35，297 - 310，1967）对一个表面上的伙伴进行攻击，该范式测量无端攻击和挑衅性攻击。在接受伪刺激的参与者中，暴力游戏玩家的无端攻击显著高于非暴力游戏玩家。在接受阳极刺激的参与者中，暴力游戏玩家和非暴力游戏玩家的无端攻击没有差异。因此，阳极刺激减少了暴力游戏玩家的无端攻击。对于挑衅性攻击未发现显著影响，表明是针锋相对的反应。本实验揭示了与暴力媒体相关的攻击性的一种可能的神经基础——rVLPFC，一个参与调节负面情绪和攻击冲动的脑区。
