Research published in the early 2000 demonstrates that playing violent computer / video games can increase a person's aggressive thoughts, feelings, temper, anxiety, obsession and behavior. Studies by psychologists published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology looked at the effects of violent video games in the lab and in real life. This powerful combination of studies presents persuasive evidence that violent video games do indeed increase aggression in some players.
In the first study the authors surveyed college students concerning their use of computer / video games and their reported aggressive delinquent behaviors in the past. They also measured the personality trait of aggressiveness to see how that related to the other variables. Students who had played more aggressive video games had also engaged in more aggressive delinquent behavior. Trait aggressiveness made this relationship even stronger. The students who spent the most total time playing video games had the lowest academic grades in college.
The second study by the authors looked at the effects of actual video game violence. Subjects were college students who played either a violent video game or a non-violent game. These games had been chosen in a pilot study because they differed only in the degree of violence in the game and not on the amount of physiological arousal that they produced. Following video game play the students took some tests and participated in a "Competitive reaction time task" where they were told that they were playing against another student. They were told that they could blast the other student with a noise if they won, and that they could vary the intensity and duration of the blast.
Students in both groups blasted their opponent longer and louder following trials when they had lost and their opponent had just blasted them. Students who had played Wolfenstein 3D blasted their opponent longer and louder on such trials than students who had played Myst. Female students blasted their opponents longer and louder on all trials than male students.
So, in conclusion we always have a question, are such computer/video games safe.
2 comments:
Can violent computer/video games produce violent behavior? I think is another chicken-and-egg situation, which one comes first?
For instance, a person who has a calm personality may not choose or like violent games. He or she may not end up enjoying the game.
On the other hand, a person who has a temper may choose to play violent games because he or she enjoying the game.
However, if a calm person who attracted to violent games and eventually becomes a violent person, who do you think should bear the blame (honestly, not politically)?
It seems that those who would choose to play violent games might already have tendencies for violent behavior. Therefore, it is not the video game that causes such behavior.
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