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Much of the current rhetoric surrounding climate change focuses on the physical changes to the environment and the resulting material damage to infrastructure and resources. Although there has been some dialogue about secondary effects (namely mass migration), little effort has been given to understanding how rapid climate change is affecting people on group and individual levels. In this Element, we examine the psychological impacts of climate change, especially focused on how it will lead to increases in aggressive behaviors and violent conflict, and how it will influence other aspects of human behavior. We also look at previously established psychological effects and use them to help explain changes in human behavior resulting from rapid climate change, as well as to propose actions that can be taken to reduce climate change itself and mitigate harmful effects on humans.

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Numerous studies from various countries and cultural backgrounds have found a link between media violence consumption and aggressive behaviors and cognition. However, some failures to replicate these findings potentially suggest that some Latinx cultures may be relatively invulnerable to such harmful effects. To investigate this, media violence exposure and aggression data were collected from samples of predominantly Latinx communities in Brazil, Mexico, and Southwest Texas U.S., as well as from a Canadian sample for contrast. Replication and extension tests of hypotheses derived from the general aggression model and the 7 Nations Media Violence Project (Anderson et al., 2017) were conducted. This cross-sectional study (N = 862) revealed violent media exposure-to-aggression effect sizes with Latinx samples that are comparable to those from other ethnicities and countries in previous studies. This relation remained significant in statistical "destructive tests" that included other major risk factors for aggression in the model. The effect generalized across samples, sex, and type of aggression (physical, verbal, and relational). Public Policy Relevance StatementBy further demonstrating the generality of media violence effects on aggression, this research has implications for public policies that strengthen safeguards for consumers. For instance, warnings of harmful effects could appear in public service announcements, in digital literacy programs, and on the products themselves. In some countries, legal restrictions on children's and adolescent's access to such materials could be imposed.

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As the climate crisis has progressed, scientists have begun to ask, "How does a rapidly warming ecosystem impact human behavior?" As aggression scholars and non-professional environmentalists, it has become increasingly clear that the impact of the climate crisis, without intervention, will dramatically increase humans' exposure to risk factors known to cause aggressive and violent behavior. This article describes a model that explains the indirect and direct effects of the climate crisis on aggression and violence, both on an individual level and broadly on group dynamics. We propose that systemic and global intervention strategies must be adopted to mitigate the severity of the climate crisis. This manuscript outlines the research demonstrating how climate change will increase human aggression and violence and then discusses potential interventions, such as holistic policies addressing immigration and income inequality. In discussing this topic, we provide insight into the intersectional nature of the consequences of rapid global warming.

The effects of video games and virtual simulations have long been researched, and we know that engaging in these games and situations can have a multitude of effects. Video games and simulations have been shown as effective learning tools for people training to become

Scientific inquiry into the effects of violent video games emerged in the 1980s as a focused area of media violence research. Early studies on media-based effects examined how individuals observed media content and learned attitudes and behaviors depicted in the media. Pioneering studies on video game violence adapted a similar research framework. However, a marked difference between video games and other forms of media (e.g., television, movies, music) is that the former requires the user to be an active participant—exploring the world, controlling the avatar, making choices, and earning rewards. This greater level of involvement theoretically should facilitate greater learning. As video games became more popular, technologically advanced, and immersive, research into their effects grew and evolved. Although the often fast-paced nature of violent video games seems to have a positive effect on players’ cognitive abilities, such as distraction filtering, the violent content also negatively affects social and emotional outcomes, such as increased aggressive cognitions and behaviors. Such negative outcomes may be particularly salient in early adolescence. This article provides a review of the theoretical foundations of, and early findings in, the field of violent video game effects research and a listing of relevant up-to-date empirical studies as well as a broader overview of the field through relevant reviews and meta-analyses.