Highly Competitive Game (HCG) which normally contains violent actions and aggressive tendency, often attracts researchers to explore its effect. Whether competitive game affects players in negative way remains unsure according to various results revealed by past empirical study. Therefore, this article intends to focus on relationship between HCG engagement and anger regulation, for further solving the enigma from emotional perspective. Anger is considered as one of high-arousal emotions with close correlation of aggressive and violent behaviors. Past research concluded how failure of angry regulation may lead to extremely offensive behavior and tragic consequence. Observed players’ angry presentations in HCG context, our research questions mainly contain two parts: 1) Does angry presentation differ between in-game context and reality? 2) How engagement of HCG and angry performance in game affect ability to angry regulation in reality? Focused on MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) in Chinese game market, the study 1 intends to apply STAXI-2-IR (State trait anger expression inventory interpretive report) questionnaire for in-game state anger and out-game one from players. Meanwhile, qualitative research method, such as semi-structured interview, is expected to apply for more convinced validation. Study 2 is preferred to apply self-report questionnaire which is consisted of four parts: 1) Mini-IPIP Scale, for recording data related to personality traits; 2) HCG game engagement and 3) In-game anger performance, as mediate variables to make influence to 4) Constructive anger verbal behavior (CAV-B), which stands for ability to regulate anger. Extended from relationship between personality traits and angry regulation, we integrate game experience in research framework, for exploration of game effect to regulating anger in real life. Additionally, post-interview and track-interview are expected after experiment, for deeper understanding mechanism of engaging game, as well as game effect. This article is intended to contribute in comprehension of emotional presentations in different contexts, as well as media effect to ability of emotional regulation. Anonymity of social media and game creates safe-zone for emotional disclosure, may lead to distinguished emotional display compared to reality. Whether media is extension or substitution of human beings, could be explored from perspective of cognitive psychology. In addition, game effect to well-being requires more experiments. With fixation on specific genre of game, we look forward general regulation could be found and applied in the future.

Game Effect, Angry Regulation, Emotions, Media Psychology