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To address this issue, this study disjunctively tests three different theoretical approaches (social cognitive theory, theory of planned behavior, and online disinhibition effect) to explain toxic behavior and propose a unified theory of toxic behavior.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>In total, 320 respondents participated in a questionnaire study. This study analyzes the data with covariance-based statistics (i.e. regression analysis and structural equation modelling), and the approach is twofold. First, the hypotheses of three theories are disjunctively tested. Second, a unified theory of toxic behavior is proposed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Findings<\/jats:title>The results of this study indicate that online disinhibition best explains toxic behavior, whereby toxic behavior victimization, attitude, and behavioral control also play an important role.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>The findings of this study offer an opportunity to better understand a contemporary and especially meaningful form of negative behavior online.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Practical implications<\/jats:title>To maintain revenue and popularity, the computer game industry can use the findings of this study to prevent and better address toxic behavior and its negative consequences.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Originality\/value<\/jats:title>Toxic behavior among video game players is a relatively new and unexplored phenomenon; therefore, this study makes a valuable contribution to the research field by testing the explanatory power of three theoretical approaches and proposing a unified theory of toxic behavior.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/intr-08-2019-0343","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,14]],"date-time":"2020-04-14T13:51:56Z","timestamp":1586872316000},"page":"1081-1102","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":54,"title":["Towards a unified theory of toxic behavior in video games"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"http:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3495-6855","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bastian","family":"Kordyaka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Katharina","family":"Jahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Bjoern","family":"Niehaves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,14]]},"reference":[{"first-page":"365","article-title":"Toxic behaviors in esports games: player perceptions and coping strategies","year":"2018","key":"key2021072916365220700_ref001"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021072916365220700_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1016\/0749-5978(91)90020-T","article-title":"The theory of planned behavior","volume":"50","year":"1991","journal-title":"Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes"},{"volume-title":"Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory","year":"1986","key":"key2021072916365220700_ref003"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021072916365220700_ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"269","DOI":"10.1111\/1464-0597.00092","article-title":"Social cognitive theory in cultural context","volume":"51","year":"2002","journal-title":"Applied Psychology"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021072916365220700_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.1108\/IntR-10-2015-0295","article-title":"Why so serious? 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