ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to further the argument that contemporary advances in moral psychology provide theory-driven explanations for human communication phenomena. A secondary goal is to encourage more work at the intersection of communications and moral psychology. The chapter describes the evolutionary roots of human morality and identifies the principles that may inform communication science. It introduces two contemporary theories of moral psychology. The chapter explains how the theory's tenants connect it to the evolutionary roots of morality and how these connections may predict the behavior and motivations of video game players. Although most of the existing work uses moral foundations theory, other theories such as the model of moral motives and dynamic coordination theory are gaining attention. Moreover, studies into human morality—both its evolutionary origins and its contemporary instantiations—help researchers understand the allure of game content and different motivations for playing. The independent and competitive nature of the approach and avoid systems account for this interplay.
