<p>Recently, I have been wondering why boys are so attracted to war and war-specific video games.  Perhaps it is improper of me to assume that this obsession only applies to boys, but for the most part I have only experienced it amongst males.  I, myself, have noticed a personal attraction to the idea of war, but have never understood why it so appeals to me.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>What is the psychology behind all this?</p>
</li>
<li><p>Is it a correct assumption to say that boys who play violent video games are becoming desensitized?</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-07T06:11:41.687Z
Hi Longmire. Welcome at CogSci. I think you are correct that your assumption may be a bit improper, unless you have some source that may back up your assumption. Perhaps you could rephrase the question to be a bit more general, e.g. "what makes violent video games attractive, and will playing these games desensitize the players?" This way the question will be less bias laden and it will be more likely that an answer is given that is also free of assumptions.
Robin Kramer-ten Have
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-07T21:50:12.580Z
What women primarily see when males play war games is blood, violence and the insensitivity around these subjects. While women are more concerned about the fact that people are dying and suffering males will seek knowledge about the fight to ultimately control the outcome. What males tend to observe first is skill, tactics and competence of the combatants.
AzulShiva
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-02T03:32:02.373Z
Over millennia, men were selected for hunting and combat, whereas women were not. Evolutionary psychology should explain it.
Rodrigo de Azevedo
<personality><developmental-psychology><sex-differences><military-psychology>
Boys and the obsession with war
Longmire
# Boys and the obsession with war

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-07)

Recently, I have been wondering why boys are so attracted to war and war-specific video games. Perhaps it is improper of me to assume that this obsession only applies to boys, but for the most part I have only experienced it amongst males. I, myself, have noticed a personal attraction to the idea of war, but have never understood why it so appeals to me.

1. What is the psychology behind all this?
2. Is it a correct assumption to say that boys who play violent video games are becoming desensitized?

**Tags:** personality, developmental-psychology, sex-differences, military-psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hi username_0. Welcome at CogSci. I think you are correct that your assumption may be a bit improper, unless you have some source that may back up your assumption. Perhaps you could rephrase the question to be a bit more general, e.g. "what makes violent video games attractive, and will playing these games desensitize the players?" This way the question will be less bias laden and it will be more likely that an answer is given that is also free of assumptions.  
> **username_2**: What women primarily see when males play war games is blood, violence and the insensitivity around these subjects. While women are more concerned about the fact that people are dying and suffering males will seek knowledge about the fight to ultimately control the outcome. What males tend to observe first is skill, tactics and competence of the combatants.  
> **username_3**: Over millennia, men were selected for hunting and combat, whereas women were not. Evolutionary psychology should explain it.  

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