The Effects Of Video Game Violence On Human Aggression Essay example

The main argument of this article is that video games have a direct link to short term and long term aggression. The author presents this argument by providing studies from peer reviewed articles that all conclude that video games do cause an increase of aggression. The main point of this article is to answer the question, “Do violent video games lead to aggression.” The article is about the effects of violent video games leading to aggression. The author uses recent examples, like the Sandy Hook and Washington Navy Yard shooting. In both of these examples, the author cites that both shooters had a history with playing violent video games. The author uses a study which selected individuals to play violent video games for a certain period of time. The study would then compare the results to a group who played non-violent video games. The study concluded that violent video games cause a direct link in aggression due to humans reenacting the actions the characters within the video games perform.

Anderson, Craig A. (2003). An update on the effects of playing violent video games. Retrieved October 5, 2010 from http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs10/fa09/dis/02/extra/update_violence.pdf

According to Hollingdale and Greitemeyer (2014), Video games that are violent are identified as very popular games that are played by the consumers. There is a concern that violent video games may pose a public health risk due to the levels of aggression due to the effects of the video games. In a cross sectional studies it has been found that there is a positive correlations with real life and video game aggression. Also in longitudinal studies shows that playing violent video games constantly it can predict that there may be later aggression even after controlling for initial levels of aggression. Experimental studies have showed that playing the video game is a factor of an increase level of

Another set of randomized experiments also examined the effects of violent video games on psychology. In these experiments, after two groups of participants played violent or nonviolent video games, they were required to list their thoughts on paper to assess their aggressive cognition. Unfortunately, the results tell us that violent video games appear to make people generate more aggressive thoughts than those who played nonviolent video games

Video games have become very influential on children and adults (Stafford, 1999). With violent video games humans are more prone to act aggressively, to have aggressive thoughts and become numb towards violence (Harding, 2009). Apart from these they are

Risky behavior by children and young adults can include violence against others or lack of remorse for consequences. The type of faulty thinking creates stressors in children which can lead to the onset of many symptoms. Children who partake in video game violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence, and injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation. A new study employing state-of-the-art brain-scanning technology says that violent video games can cause an individual to become violent. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine say that brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition, and attention. In short, when playing a violent game, an individual’s brain processes the game playing as “fictional”, but later can project some of the unknown effects as violence or aggression.

The link between violent video games and increased aggression in players is most studied and established in the field, but it still requires more research in order to conclude that violent video games are turning people into real criminals. A more comprehensive study, taking a bigger sample size of varied age groups and gender is required in this area to overcome the gaps in research.

Ever since the video game was invented many years ago, violent, bloody games have existed also. Some include killing zombies, shooting people, and fighting that ends in either someone dying or being hurt. The outcome remains the same, and a select few continue to live out these games throughout their daily life. These games can sometimes cause people to become angry. Although, some video games may have a negative effect on some people’s lives, other reasons such as their home life can be a factor in these people’s behavior.

In 2011, a study shows that seventy-one percent games that contain violence interfere with the gamer’s behavior. Most people think there is some kind of connection. Scientists continue to investigate and they get closer and closer to finding that violent videos do affect a person’s behavior. Some researchers found that video games like first-person shooters, indeed influence violent behavior. It is shown that at least a few minutes of playing a violent video game, people can act a little

Some say that video games give them a break from what is happening in their life, and others use video games as entertainment with friends. “It is just as likely that young people with primary, aggressive behavior or antisocial traits preferentially select to play violent video games for recreational purposes” (Porter & Starcevic, 2007). Many adolescents can see it as a way to get rid of their anger and frustration by being able to kill fictional characters. Along with this, studies have shown that with the amount of violence seen, teenagers are more accepting and tolerant of violent behavior (Nowak, Kremar, & Farrar, 2008). The more time that players spend on violent video games, there is a bigger chance that they are going to act violently when provoked. Not only do violent games contribute to the increase of violent actions, but also the profanity that the characters say can increase violent acts (Ivory & Kaestle, 2013). The make up of violent video games is causing aggressive behavior in teenagers, especially because they are the age group that spends the most time playing the games (Anderson, 2011). People are starting to realize what actions can be picked up by playing video games. The state of California tried to help stop the trend of teenagers being influenced by video games, but they were soon shot down.

A major opposition to violence video games leading to aggression is that the research that was done is not a valid research. Henry Jenkins said “...most of those studies are inconclusive and many have been criticized on methodological grounds” (2). The studies are not inconclusive because in the studies that the researchers do they

For years now, we millennials (and post ’95 kids) have had the luxury of experiencing the boost and advances of technology first hand. From the internet to cell phones, movies and music to videogames, we have a plethora of sources to seek entertainment. Video games were a large amount of my childhood (they still are), and I found that playing video games- both violent and non-violent- were constantly engaging me in stimulating exercises that helped my perceptual-motor and memory, decision making, problem-solving and social skills. For years now I have heard the countless public beliefs that violent video games are related to aggressive and sometimes lethal behaviors, and I wanted to examine the evidence publicized in the media. These games are said to desensitize gamers to real life violence, which is usually seen in the younger, more impressionable crowd. These studies especially focus on 1v1, player-on-player violent games. Predictably, these claims arise when we reference school shootings, gang related crimes and other domestic terrorist acts conducted by our youth. It is too easy to quickly blame something like a violent video game for their behavior, even though other studies have shown that video games can produce positive outcomes, such as good problem solving skills, cooperation in a group and the ability to think and decide on the spot. Within this paper I will be looking closely at how some of these tests were conducted- analyzing if they were valid- considering

“Recent contents analyses of video games show that many as 89% of games contain some violent contents” (Gentile, Lynch, Linder, Walsh 3). More than half of video games being sold around the world contain some form of violence. All of the violence involved in the video games being played by children is a pattern leading to aggression. Aggression can be caused by many things; however, violent video games are the main cause of aggression in young adults. “If a child began playing violent video games at a young age, then he might think that violence in real life is the same as the game violence and that it doesn’t have a real impact on others” (Gilad, Alto 1). Thinking that violence in the virtual world is the same as in the real world is the first step to showing aggression. Aggression in children caused by video games is the biggest effect parents and researchers worry about. Violent video games teach children that shooting and killing people are

A few years later, in 2001, Anderson and Buschman, used meta-analytic techniques in order to combine results from empirical studies over violent video games and their effects on five different outcome variables: aggressive cognition, aggressive behavior, aggressive affect, psychological arousal, and helping behavior. Significant effects on these variables were found. Violent video games increase aggressive thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and arousal. The results also show that violent video games decrease the helping behavior. This study was performed on all different types of people: young, older, male, and female. On the other hand, “experts” in the video game industry, criticize the research literature that exists about violent video game (much like tobacco companies do with research proving tobacco can cause cancer). Research conducted by these video game “experts” do not have any science in the studies.

Anderson C. & Bushman B. 2001. Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal and prosocial behavior: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Science 12, 353–359