Video games 'increase aggression'

[pibs]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/720000/images/_720707_games300.jpg
Playing violent video games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Combat can increase aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviour, say researchers.

They warn that violent video games may be more harmful than violent television or films because they are interactive, and require the player to identify with the aggressive character.

Psychologists Dr Craig Anderson, from Iowa State University of Science and Technology, and Dr Karen Dill, from Lenoir-Rhyne College, carried out two studies.



This medium is potentially more dangerous than exposure to violent television and movies

Dr Craig Anderson, Iowa State University of Science and Technology

The first showed that young men who are habitually aggressive may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of repeated exposure to violent games.

The second showed that everybody can become temporarily more aggressive after even a brief exposure to violent games.

In the first study 227 college students were asked to rate their level of aggression.

Dr Anderson said: "We found that students who reported playing more violent video games in junior and high school engaged in more aggressive behaviour.

"We also found that amount of time spent playing video games in the past was associated with lower academic grades in college."

In the second study, 210 college students played either a violent (Wolfenstein 3D) or non-violent video game (Myst).



You cannot simulate in a laboratory the complex social problems that people are concerned about

Dr Guy Cumberbatch, chartered psychologist

A short time later, the students who played the violent video were found to be more aggressive than those who had played the non-violent game.

This was measured experimentally by recording the length of time the volunteers "punished" an opponent by blasting them with a loud noise.

Dr Anderson said: "Violent video games provide a forum for learning and practising aggressive solutions to conflict situations.

"In the short run, playing a violent video game appears to affect aggression by priming aggressive thoughts.

"Longer-term effects are likely to be longer lasting as well, as the player learns and practices new aggression-related scripts that can become more and more accessible for use when real-life conflict situations arise."

Active medium

Dr Anderson said a major concern was the fact that playing video games was more active than watching television or film.

He said: "This medium is potentially more dangerous than exposure to violent television and movies, which are known to have substantial effects on aggression and violence."

Dr Guy Cumberbatch, a chartered psychologist and expert in media violence, said it was difficult to draw firm conclusions from research.

"You cannot simulate in a laboratory the complex social problems that people are concerned about, and overall the actual evidence supporting a link between media violence and real violence is very weak."

Dr Cumberbatch said research showed that some people were stimulated simply by the fast pace of action films, rather than their violent content.

The research is published in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/720707.stm

[Torgod13]

Hey Dr. Dumbass... How about relieving stress by playing a violent video game.. There fore I will be less likely to kick you in the face when I am pissid off at you for doing or saying something stupid. Games can be a way to channel anger and aggression if you have had a healthy upbringing. In the old days we used to play cowboys and Indians and kill each other.. now we can do it on the TV. Same thing… different media…. Just a tip for Dr. Dumbass…. LIFE MAKES ONE AGGRESSIVE!!!!!

[10shu]

Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Combat...lol

the world is safe then...who play thoses game nowday.?!?!?..:)

[Basil Zero]

LOL @ 10shu's post

anyways,

kids, Movies and TV ALSO increase Aggression (WINK)

[hatebreeder]

well...i mean it kind of makes sense. That's not a reason to ban videogames (there is none) but i mean honestly, it could make you more likely to have agressive thoughts. The key thing they don't really state here is whether or not they act on them.

[Veskgar]

Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Combat...lol

the world is safe then...who play thoses game nowday.?!?!?..:)

Man, you hit it right on the head. There is no greater point. This shows that the so called Dr. knows very little about Video Games and the "potential" for aggressive behavior.

I was like 12-15 when I was playing Mortal Kombat & DOOM. I had and still have my fair share of anger issues but they have absolutely nothing to do with those or any other violent games. Not on a conscious or unconscious level.

If anything, Video Games can be an outlet for stress and lessen the likelihood of real-world violence.

The only type of game I could see potentially harmful are incredibly real simulators. Like an assassin or espionage game that actually teaches real-world techniques and tricks of the trade. This could be used for already disturbed individuals to practice or learn how to better do what they would do with or without video games.

In a FREE society you cannot protect everybody all the time. There will be violent people regardless of what type of MEDIA or TECHNOLOGY is around.

Think of all the lunatics and madmen that lived decades ago, centuries ago, even a millennium ago.

The only type of media that I've seen influence a lot of people on a widespread scale is gangster rap or "hip hop". Then I see kids start walking funny, and talking like they are a gangster straight outta Compton..... Then I want to kick their teeth in.

So, a long story short.... I think Video Games are least likely to cause aggressive behavior compared to other media influences.

[ish420ism]

Monkey See, Monkey Feel, Monkey DO.
You figure it out

[wolfpack]

games dont make me angry. NOT playing games makes me angry

[ficksucker]

Hey Dr. Dumbass... How about relieving stress by playing a violent video game.. There fore I will be less likely to kick you in the face when I am pissid off at you for doing or saying something stupid. Games can be a way to channel anger and aggression if you have had a healthy upbringing. In the old days we used to play cowboys and Indians and kill each other.. now we can do it on the TV. Same thing… different media…. Just a tip for Dr. Dumbass…. LIFE MAKES ONE AGGRESSIVE!!!!!

Expressing anger actually leads to less anger... yeah... right... When you think about it, do you actually think you can become a less angry person by expressing anger more? It doesn't actually make much sense, and studies show that for most people "venting" just leads to more aggressive behaviour. It's a common misconception.

It is you who is the misinformed one, if you knew more about what you were talking about then you wouldn't be calling him a dumbass. His study is part of a growing number of studies that have pointed in the same direction.

I have nothing against games, I love games, but that doesn't mean I have to be in denial about them. Everything has its down sides, and besides, I don't play only aggressive games.

[SSaxdude]

I'm not a violent person... must kill...

[IM back!]

Games only vent out my agresshion. and as was posted before: the pirme media agresshon creator is rap!

[jmendes]

every month comes dumbasses like this... ppl never get tired of pointing videogames as vilains.
y'all breaking my balls.

[samthegreat68]

im a high school wrestler and i play mortal kombat on my psp before tournaments and wrestling matches to pump me up..

[camcorderdoctor]

it's dumb ass articles like this one that make people violent not the games --- it's just stupid...

[F9zDark]

This is bullshit and is a government campaign to prove that video games are bad. Visit www.theeca.com for the truth.

I read in an article of PC gamer about 2 years ago about violence and video games. And the inconvient truth thanks to data from the Department of Justice is that violent crime among teens and adolescents is down considerably, SINCE the advent of video games.

I don't a give a rat's ****ing ass what any scientist says about video games. I have lived in a house with guns and games all my life and I have NEVER put the two together. They can go **** themselves with their government propoganda.

[Uberman]

Video games 'increase aggression'

So do people who don't know how to f*cking drive. I'd be far more likely to kill someone because of that than I would because of a violent video game. I've raised two sons, allowing them to play "violent" video games through their teens, and they both have dispositions that are much, much gentler than mine. Explain that one with your study.

Please peddle your "Dr. Phil" pop-psychology somewhere else. :mad:

[Gene]

I can guarantee that school can make a person more agressive.

[Veskgar]

Video games 'increase aggression'

So do people who don't know how to f*cking drive.

Oh man that is so true.

[ficksucker]

Video games 'increase aggression'

So do people who don't know how to f*cking drive. I'd be far more likely to kill someone because of that than I would because of a violent video game. I've raised two sons, allowing them to play "violent" video games through their teens, and they both have dispositions that are much, much gentler than mine. Explain that one with your study.

Please peddle your "Dr. Phil" pop-psychology somewhere else. :mad:

Pop psychology isn't based on real studies, this is. The real BS pop psychology is people who think that "venting" prevents them from being violent.

Here's just one study (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bbushman/PSPB02.pdf) out of many out there that show this is false. They found that "doing nothing at all was more effective than venting anger." People were angry at somone, half of them got to punch a punching bag and the other half got to sit around and stew about it. When they were given the ability to hurt them with annoying loud noises, the people that "vented" punished them with more and louder noises. But we don't need studies to tell us that, we know that out of common sense.

It's funny, when science undermines religion, a lot of people are all over it. But when the same scientists simply suggest that there is a small causal role between between video games and aggression, you criticize them. (and without even reading thier studies but taking some jackass reporter's word for it).

If you should be angry at anyone, you should be angry at the media for misrepresenting studies and using them to suit thier agenda.

[ExcruciationX]

I've played "violent video games" since I was 10. I've never encountered any problems. If I was mad, it would be for another reason.

[ficksucker]

Here's a great political cartoon somone posted on image shack.

Although I believe that video games have a small effect on aggression, I don't think it causes anyone to go as far as shooting somone. The effect is just too weak.

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/4317/fitzsimmonsfe8.jpg

[DCRich]

ok, sorry to say this ficksucker, but seriously. all these so-called studies are bullshit. most psychological shit going on out there is bullshit. it never takes place in real situations, only simulated. for instance,

if I get in an argument with my best friend, so much to the point where he pisses me off so much, that I would punch him out....I won't. I would never punch anybody. but give me a fluffy soft nerf bat, or a loud noise, and look out baby, I would have fun with it. nothing to do with aggression, but basic human behavior. comedy is almost always at the expense of someone else, and I would die of laughter if I could force a loud noise on my buddy, even if I wasn't mad. oh, and by the way, I am not a violent person in any way. I am in fact, very calm. and play violent video games all the time.

untill they are able to do a study in real situations, it means nothing. go on and spout about your psycho-knowledge, give me facts, not some BS simulated study that doesn't really show how people act. "punishing" someone with a loud noise is nowhere on the same level as beating the shit out of someone. and as far as video games not being able to help vent your anger, go tell that to my sister, and she will tell you where to go. She uses video games as a means of releasing anger. Grand Theft Auto does wonders.

These studies are only around so some doctors have an excuse for being payed with government money while doing nothing.

[Poor-Kingz]

I wonder why adults who have NEVER played videogames try so hard to bring them down. Why just games? Why not movies, music, or sports? Why is it okay for hockey players to knock each others teeth out but when someone fights in a VIDEO GAME its a considered horrible act of aggression?

[Sp3ct0r]

im tired of this research BS. im pretty sure no1 cares.

[ficksucker]

ok, sorry to say this ficksucker, but seriously. all these so-called studies are bullshit. most psychological shit going on out there is bullshit. it never takes place in real situations, only simulated. for instance,

if I get in an argument with my best friend, so much to the point where he pisses me off so much, that I would punch him out....I won't. I would never punch anybody. but give me a fluffy soft nerf bat, or a loud noise, and look out baby, I would have fun with it. nothing to do with aggression, but basic human behavior. comedy is almost always at the expense of someone else, and I would die of laughter if I could force a loud noise on my buddy, even if I wasn't mad. oh, and by the way, I am not a violent person in any way. I am in fact, very calm. and play violent video games all the time.

untill they are able to do a study in real situations, it means nothing. go on and spout about your psycho-knowledge, give me facts, not some BS simulated study that doesn't really show how people act. "punishing" someone with a loud noise is nowhere on the same level as beating the shit out of someone. and as far as video games not being able to help vent your anger, go tell that to my sister, and she will tell you where to go. She uses video games as a means of releasing anger. Grand Theft Auto does wonders.

These studies are only around so some doctors have an excuse for being payed with government money while doing nothing.


Sure, sometimes situations are artificial, but we can't exactly hand them a bat and say "now you get the chance to beat your pal to death."

Animal research has the same problems and yet it's helped develop dozens of crucial biological cures as well as therapies for things like drug abuse. But hey if you refuse to use methadone or insulin or pennicilin or liver transplants because it's based on artificial studies then it's no skin off my back.

I always said there are a bunch of studies out there, here's just one. When you have a bunch of studies that all point in the same direction, then you can be pretty sure you're right.

Let's take TV watching for example. We have numerous "artificial" studies like that noise study, where people got to be aggressive in artificial ways like with noise or electric shocks or what have you. But NOW combine that with studies of people reporting more violent thought and real life studies that show that violent tv watching predicts violent behaviour but not the reverse, and then you've got a case.

So say what you will about your sister, but the point is venting doesn't work for most people. It may offer short term relief but it has bad long term consequences. The problem is people are quite happy to use it as an excuse for justifying acting like an ass. Isn't it curious how the most nasty people tend to "vent" all the time? You'd think it would help them.

Everything you do has an effect on the person that you are. Why should video games be any different, especially when the relationship of violence with TV is well established. It's weak, but it's there. There's a growing body of evidence that the same is true for video games, but we still need more studies to be sure, especially long term studies like we have with TV.

[markymark1]

...No games and games make mark go something, something...

i mean come on, "teenagers" now-a-days are a tad more aggressive but that i think is cos there is not as much direction for them, but id say generally were not any more aggressive or abusive than we were, people just werent as open about it before.

[Warhamster]

There's a couple of things that are being overlooked here as we get into the typical situation of, "News article attacks gamers, gamers ignore article shouting claims of not being socially maladjusted."

One of the most used defenses against the claims that violent TV and constantly playing violent video games makes us all potential psychoes was Japan. A culture that is virtually uncensored but still very calm and conservative. Then there was a rash of young school kids who played violent games 24-7 who started commiting random acts of violence.

In response to the, "Well hockey is violent and that's okay, why aren't computer games". You've got to remember that contact sports are:

i) Rigerously regulated
ii) Involve Exercise
iii) Are generally social activities
iv) Actively teach people self discipline and control
v) Excessive violence in sports is punished in games it's rewarded
iv) Frustration in sport is dealt with by getting tired and a rush of endorphins. In gaming when players get stuck or feel someone is cheating they react with violent language or in some cases by acting out violently (throwing joypads etc)

Gaming still has a reputation of being solely for socially inept, single, white, middle class, nerds between the ages of 15-35. The press maintains the view of the college stoner sat alone in his room playing Quake no stop for a month. This also happens to be the prime breeding group for serial killers. Now this is not the face of modern gaming.
Gamers these days are incredibly social and often embrace the best of human nature as opposed to the worst.

The nature of gamers generally has meant that as a social group there has been no effort to dispell this image. We'd rather call heavily funded researchers and respected research institutions "Dr. Dumbass". Until we can react sensibly the articles will continue.

[shrimpidy]

I get my violence from movies like jacki chan. Its not like one could blow off one's head with a pistol like in resident evil, which is probably the most violent game i own. Anyways, I agree with the fact that all of those games are old and are no longer played by the general population.

[iniquitous_beast]

Seriously, people, there are always multiple factors. People need to be prodded many different ways before they cross the line of murder.
Bullying plays a part.
Physical, verbal, and emotional abuse from home or school can play a part.
A person's mental stability can play a part.
A person's upbringing and stance toward violence can play a part.

There are surely more motivators behind these killings, and the key flaw with all of these tests is that there are many factors within a video game which might lead to a temporary increase in violence. Doom, for instance, had some kickin' MIDI tracks that could get anyone revved up. That stuff rocked, and I would not be surprised if the music alone could result in one of these short-term increases in aggression.

Besides, what is wrong with these short-term increases anyway? They usually result from being in a good mood. The tests also do not differentiate between playful violence and true aggression. When a young cat pounces on another cat, and the two start wrestling, they are often play-fighting. It is the same as wrestling on the lawn with your brother. It is aggressive, it is violent, but there is absolutely no harm intended. Testing methods which use harmless measures of aggression, such as loud noises, cannot accurately differentiate between true aggression and playful aggression.

[darkspectorXP]

This proves a lot. Plus, some people speak without having the evidence to back up their words. Thank God that some people don't have to go into Judge Judy's (http://www.judgejudy.com/) courtroom. She strikes down anybody, male or female, if they don't bring evidence supporting their claim to her courtroom.
Ben