scholarly journals Violent video game engagement is not associated with adolescents' aggressive behaviour: evidence from a registered report

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 171474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew K. Przybylski ◽  
Netta Weinstein
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
Nonlinear Parabolic ◽  
Game Engagement ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Robust Evidence

In this study, we investigated the extent to which adolescents who spend time playing violent video games exhibit higher levels of aggressive behaviour when compared with those who do not. A large sample of British adolescent participants ( n = 1004) aged 14 and 15 years and an equal number of their carers were interviewed. Young people provided reports of their recent gaming experiences. Further, the violent contents of these games were coded using official EU and US ratings, and carers provided evaluations of their adolescents' aggressive behaviours in the past month. Following a preregistered analysis plan, multiple regression analyses tested the hypothesis that recent violent game play is linearly and positively related to carer assessments of aggressive behaviour. Results did not support this prediction, nor did they support the idea that the relationship between these factors follows a nonlinear parabolic function. There was no evidence for a critical tipping point relating violent game engagement to aggressive behaviour. Sensitivity and exploratory analyses indicated these null effects extended across multiple operationalizations of violent game engagement and when the focus was on another behavioural outcome, namely, prosocial behaviour. The discussion presents an interpretation of this pattern of effects in terms of both the ongoing scientific and policy debates around violent video games, and emerging standards for robust evidence-based policy concerning young people's technology use.

scholarly journals Violent Video Games and Attitudes Towards Victims of Crime

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavinia McLean ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Young People ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Violent Video Game ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Victims Of Crime ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research has indicated that playing violent video games may be associated with an increase in acceptance of violence and positive attitudes towards perpetrators of crime. This study is the first to investigate the relationship between playing violent video games and attitudes towards victims of crime. A total of 206 young people (aged 12-24 years) completed measures of attitudes towards victims and violent video game exposure. The results suggest that exposure to violent video games is associated with less concern being reported for victims of crime. Young people who play more violent video games reported less concern for general victims and for culpable victims, and these effects cannot be explained by gender or age differences. The results are discussed in relation to relevant research in the area, along with recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals Exploring the Mediating Effect of Psychological Engagement on the Relationship between Child-to-Parent Violence and Violent Video Games

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2845
Author(s):  
Ana Ruiz-Fernández ◽  
Miriam Junco-Guerrero ◽  
David Cantón-Cortés
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Psychological Engagement ◽  
The Relationship

Research into the effects of violent video games on levels of aggression has raised concerns that they may pose a significant social risk, especially among younger people. The objective of this study was to analyze, through structural equation models, the mediating role of psychological engagement in the relationship between the consumption of violent video games and child-to-parent violence (CPV) against the mother and the father. The sample consisted of 916 students from the third and fourth grades of compulsory secondary education, first and second grades of high school, and first cycle of vocational training (483 males and 433 females), of whom a total of 628 were video game players, aged between 13 and 19. The exposure to video games was assessed through an author-elaborated questionnaire, engagement was evaluated with the game engagement questionnaire, and CPV was assessed through the child-to-parent aggression questionnaire. The structural equation models indicated that exposure to violent video games was related to lower rates of CPV against both parents. Conversely, the flow (a sense of being in control, being one with activity, and experiencing distortions in the perception of time) dimension of engagement positively correlated with the level of CPV against the mother, whereas the flow and absorption (total engagement in the current experience) dimensions correlated with CPV against the father. In conclusion, the results confirm the role of violent video game consumption, reducing CPV rates against both parents, a role that is offset to the extent that these violent games provoke engagement in the user.

Violent Video Games and Attitudes Towards Victims of Crime

2016 ◽  
pp. 704-722
Author(s):  
Lavinia McLean ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Young People ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Violent Video Game ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Victims Of Crime ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research has indicated that playing violent video games may be associated with an increase in acceptance of violence and positive attitudes towards perpetrators of crime. This study is the first to investigate the relationship between playing violent video games and attitudes towards victims of crime. A total of 206 young people (aged 12-24 years) completed measures of attitudes towards victims and violent video game exposure. The results suggest that exposure to violent video games is associated with less concern being reported for victims of crime. Young people who play more violent video games reported less concern for general victims and for culpable victims, and these effects cannot be explained by gender or age differences. The results are discussed in relation to relevant research in the area, along with recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals When and How Video Games Can Be Good: A Review of the Positive Effects of Video Games on Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1096-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yemaya J. Halbrook ◽  
Aisling T. O’Donnell ◽  
Rachel M. Msetfi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Wide Population

Video games are a source of entertainment for a wide population and have varied effects on well-being. The purpose of this article is to comprehensively examine game-play research to identify the factors that contribute to these disparate well-being outcomes and to highlight the potential positive effects. On the basis of existing literature, we argue that the effects of gaming on well-being are moderated by other variables, such as motivations for gaming and video-game characteristics. Specifically, the inclusion of social activity can benefit prosocial behaviors and affect the relationship between violent video games and aggression that some studies have demonstrated. Moreover, the research on the relationship between violent video games and aggression depends greatly on individual and sociocontextual variables outside of game play. The inclusion of physical activity in games can provide an improvement in physical health with high levels of enjoyment, potentially increasing adherence rates. Overall, following our review, we determined that the effects of gaming on well-being are moderated by and depend on the motivation for gaming, outside variables, the presence of violence, social interaction, and physical activity. Thus, we argue that there is potential for an “optimal gaming profile” that can be used in the future for both academic- and industry-related research.

scholarly journals Gender as a Moderator in the Relationship between Violent Video Games Play and Aggressive Behaviour among In-School Adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 10430-10433
Author(s):  
Emenike N. Anyaegbunam ◽  
Chiedu Eseadi ◽  
Chinyere Augusta Nwajiuba ◽  
Paul N. Onwuasoanya ◽  
Oluchi Queen Onwudinjo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
The Relationship

Waltzing on Rooftops and Cobblestones

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-55
Author(s):  
Ailbhe Warde-Brown
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Real World ◽  
World History ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Open World ◽  
Integrated Approaches ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between music, sound, space, and time plays a crucial role in attempts to define the concept of “immersion” in video games. Isabella van Elferen’s ALI (affect-literacy-interaction) model for video game musical immersion offers one of the most integrated approaches to reading connections between sonic cues and the “magic circle” of gameplay. There are challenges, however, in systematically applying this primarily event-focused model to particular aspects of the “open-world” genre. Most notable is the dampening of narrative and ludic restrictions afforded by more intricately layered textual elements, alongside open-ended in-game environments that allow for instances of more nonlinear, exploratory gameplay. This article addresses these challenges through synthesizing the ALI model with more spatially focused elements of Gordon Calleja’s player involvement model, exploring sonic immersion in greater depth via the notion of spatiotemporal involvement. This presents a theoretical framework that broadens analysis beyond a simple focus on the immediate narrative or ludic sequence. Ubisoft’s open-world action-adventure franchise Assassin’s Creed is a particularly useful case study for the application of this concept. This is primarily because of its characteristic focus on blending elements of the historical game and the open-world game through its use of real-world history and geography. Together, the series’s various diegetic and nondiegetic sonic elements invite variable degrees of participation in “historical experiences of virtual space.” The outcome of this research intends to put such intermingled expressions of space, place, and time at the forefront of a ludomusicological approach to immersion in the open-world genre.

Violent Video Games, Mass Shootings, and the Supreme Court

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Legal Cases ◽  
Video Game Violence ◽  
Game Violence

The issue of video game violence continues to attract attention from the legal and policy communities, particularly in the wake of mass shootings. However, focusing on video game violence has generally not resulted in successful legal or public policy. In part this is because the science upon which beliefs of “harm” in video game violence are based remains inconsistent and heavily disputed. The current article examines several issues. First, the article examines the current evidence about video game violence influences on negative outcomes in players. Second, the article concerns itself with the application of video game science to several recent legal cases, involving both criminal prosecutions and attempted regulation/censorship of video game violence in the United States. Finally, the manuscript addresses several common talking points used in legal cases and by policy makers and examines whether these talking statements survive careful scientific scrutiny. It is advised that, consistent with the legal decisions and government reviews in the United States, Sweden, Australia, and elsewhere, current evidence does not support the regulation of violent video games, and legal or policy attempts to connect video game violence to specific crimes are unlikely to survive careful scrutiny.

Negotiating Students’ Conceptions of ‘Cheating’ in Video Games and in School

2013 ◽  
pp. 111-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla R. Hamlen ◽  
Holly E. Gage
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Traditional Classroom ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
Student Views ◽  
Methods Of Learning

Technology use, and video game play in particular, occupies a large amount of time in a typical teenager’s life. Methods of learning and playing video games differ from that of traditional learning settings in that it is common to collaborate and use alternative methods known as “cheats” in the gaming world, strategies that might be considered unethical in the traditional classroom setting. This study took a phenomenological approach to developing an understanding of student views of cheating in these two different settings, and investigating their motivations for engaging in cheating behaviors. Researchers explore the narratives of three teenage males as they described their experiences in gaming and in school, and their views of ethics, honesty, and acceptable forms of information gathering in the two contexts. Analyses reveal three themes relating to students’ conceptions of cheating. Implications are discussed, particularly as they relate to setting and maintaining ethical standards in the school setting.

Exploring the Effects of Violent Video Games on Healthcare Trainees

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 653-665
Author(s):  
Karlie A. Krause ◽  
Chelsie Smyth ◽  
Kate L. Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Personal Distress ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Violent Video Games ◽  
Video Game Play ◽  
Violent Video Game ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Distress Scale

Background. The prevalence of video game play has continued to increase. Previous literature has suggested negative emotional consequences related to violent video game play, such as an increase in aggression and decrease in empathy. Healthcare providers require high levels of empathy to effectively work with patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of video games on empathy on a sample of graduate-level healthcare trainees. Methods. A sample of 81 students on a healthcare campus completed a 30-item survey assessing video game habits and empathy levels. Participants were then placed into two groups (violent and non-violent) based on the amount of video game violence they are exposed to. Results. The results revealed no differences between healthcare trainees on overall empathy. A follow-up analysis examining individual subscales that comprise the overall empathy score, indicated the violent video game players had lower scores on the Personal Distress scale. Conclusion. Findings suggest that healthcare trainees who play violent video games do not experience decreased Empathic Concern or Perspective Taking, compared to individuals who do not play violent games. However, healthcare trainees who play violent video games indicated lower levels of Personal Distress. Given the intensity in healthcare settings, findings suggest violent video game play may be adaptive to healthcare trainees, as lower personal distress can lead to better decision-making and potentially prevent burnout. Further research is necessary to determine the role of video game play in healthcare professionals.

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