UNDERSTANDING MEDIA VIOLENCE FROM A ROLE-PLAY PERSPECTIVE - Effects of Various Types of Violent Video Games on Players’ Cognitive Aggression

In this commentary, we first analyze Elson and Ferguson’s (2013) attempt to offer a theory that would explain why exposure to family, community, school, and media violence could be related to increased aggression, but not cause such aggression. We conclude that the “new” theory they offer is not very “new.” It differs from dominant social learning theories only in its claim that the relation between exposure to violence and aggression is almost entirely due to people who are genetically or biologically predisposed to be aggressive also exposing themselves to more violence. We show this assertion is strongly contradicted by existing experimental and longitudinal data. We also show that Elson and Ferguson’s so-called “exhaustive review” of empirical data on the topic is seriously flawed; that their claim that effect sizes are trivial is not supported by the math; and that their claim that scholars who believe that violent video games cause aggression are an “extreme” group in a divided field is contradicted by surveys that show the vast majority of researchers believe violent video games increase aggression. We point out that their claim that scholars who believe in media violence effects are having a “moral panic” has no theoretical or empirical support, whereas the contrasting argument that researchers who produce violent media themselves, or use it extensively, are biased by the force of cognitive consistency and experience a “reactance” of “regulatory panic” does have support from psychological theory.

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Apples, Oranges, and the Burden of Proof – Putting Media Violence Findings Into Context

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000166 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 60-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Wayne Warburton

Keyword(s):

Video Games ◽

Video Game ◽

Burden Of Proof ◽

Media Violence ◽

Reasonable Doubt ◽

Psychological Processes ◽

Violent Video Games ◽

Violent Media ◽

Research Findings ◽

And Behavior

In this comment on Elson and Ferguson (2013) , areas of agreement are noted in terms of the need to thoroughly and scientifically document the boundary conditions under which violent video games most impact players. However it is argued, in contrast to Elson and Ferguson, that violent media generally (and violent video games specifically) can and do increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence, and are linked to increases in aggressive attitudes and beliefs. It is also argued that research findings demonstrating these violent video game effects must be considered in terms of both the known impacts of other types of media on human thoughts and behavior, and well-documented psychological processes that have been empirically demonstrated to underlie the acquisition of all types of social behavior, not just aggression. To this end, evidence is provided that other types of media such as advertising are shown to clearly impact human psychology, and psychological mechanisms that potentially underlie media violence effects are discussed. It is further noted that there are no clearly evident reasons as to why violent video games should impact thoughts and behavior less than other media or be subject to different psychological processes. When the research evidence is considered in these contexts, it is concluded that the above-mentioned impacts of violent media exposure on human thought and behavior (including those of violent digital games) are demonstrated to two levels of proof – on the balance of probabilities and beyond reasonable doubt.

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Violent Video Games and Their Relation to Aggressive Behaviour in Late Childhood in Pakistan

International Journal of Cyber Behavior Psychology and Learning ◽

10.4018/ijcbpl.2020070104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 47-59

Author(s):

Mujeeba Ashraf

Keyword(s):

Video Games ◽

American Literature ◽

Aggressive Behaviour ◽

Role Play ◽

Real Life ◽

Late Childhood ◽

First Person ◽

Violent Video Games ◽

Play Action ◽

First Person Shooter

Most of the European and American literature suggests that playing violent video games can increase aggression in real-life situations in children, but the extent to which this is true in Pakistan is largely unknown. This is a correlational study that explored whether the amount of time spent playing violent themed video games was associated with aggressive behaviour and whether playing different kinds of violent themed video games could predict aggressive behaviour in late childhood. The sample of 100 children (mean age 13.37) was taken, and children were asked to fill in a diary when they played videogames for a week. The results revealed the time spent playing violent video games (role play, action and fighting, and first-person shooter) was positively correlated with aggression; however, only role play and first-person shooter video games were positive predictors of aggressive behaviour. Current research suggests that if children spend more than 30 minutes a day playing violent video games, their chances of learning aggressive behaviour may increase.

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