Week 16: Literature Review

Literature Review

             There is much controversy on the subject of video games. Many people have vastly different viewpoints on the effects of video games on its players. Although the research is by no means exhaustive or conclusive, there has been recent research that suggests video games cause aggression in avid gamers.

            “The research falls into three categories: short-term laboratory experiments; longer-term studies, often based in schools; and correlation studies—between playing time and aggression, for instance, or between video game sales and trends in violent crime” (Carey, 2013). The majority of short-term studies state that violent video games cause an increase in aggression over a short period of time after the stimulation occurs. Most short-term studies involve a gamer playing a violent video game for 15-20 minutes in a day and then observing their reactions to certain scenarios. However, recently a study that lasted over 3 days found that hostile expectations and aggression increased in people who played violent video games, as compared with those who played non-violent ones. “Violent video games do cause an increase in aggression and the effects are cumulative and can be relatively long-lasting” (Hasan, Begue, Scharkow, & Bushman, 2012). This experiment showed the effects of violent video games increased daily while the non-violent video games caused a constant or decrease in aggression or hostile expectation.

“You are linked to the violent character. If it's a first-person shooter game, you have the same visual perspective as the killer. You get points when you kill people. If you kill enough people, you get to advance to the next level of the game. You are also rewarded through things that you might hear. If you kill somebody, maybe you hear, "Impressive, nice shot, you are tied for the lead." And you hear these -- praise, and we know that reinforcement increases the probability of behavior” (PBS Newshour, 2013).

There is a cultural of violence in society. We have accepted violence as a norm and have become desensitized to it in our culture. Violent video games is often accepted as a means of channeling aggression. However, research shows it as a catalyst for aggression. Society doesn’t know any better because media outlets bombard us with commercials, ads, e-mails and e-cards full of violence that it is socially acceptable to shoot human characters in a video game, and sometimes, the more violent, the better. A study involving juvenile delinquents, who had done on average 9 serious acts of violence, showed that both the frequency of play and affinity for violent video games were strongly associated with violent and delinquent behavior. “Researchers point out that juvenile offenders have several risk factors that influence their behavior. The next step is to build on this research to determine what combination of factors is the most volatile and if there is a saturation point” (Iowa State University, 2013).

“The research regarding media and its effect on aggressive behavior has evolved over the past 60 years, from television to video games. Although the media outlet may have changed, the results have remained consistent in showing that there is some significance in the hypothesized relationship between violent media exposure and increased aggressive behavior with several studies refuting this hypothesis” (Prokarym, 2012).

Video games influence behavior, because players are involved mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically (feeling the vibrations as they’re shot, as well as the noises of the wounded or fallen). It is not a constructive release of aggression, but a motivator. Players are rewarded for their killings or the way they commit the act of violence. In our society, we should not promote violence, but discourage it. Violent video games desensitizes people and promotes inhumanity.  The research clearly states the correlation between video games and violent tendencies.  There are many people and companies who try to dissuade video game companies from promoting their violent games during certain hours of the day, so as not to entice children; however, even that has become a struggle because of the Freedom of Speech Amendment. Society needs to change soon, if there is any hope for the future.

            However, there are many people in support of violent video games, such as Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took a firm stand in her proclamation that “better gun laws may go a longer way towards curbing violent behavior”, rather than banning violent video games (Honorof, 2013). Congresswoman Pelosi backs her proposal by referencing Japan’s statistics. Japan has the most violent video games in the industry; however, they have the lowest death, or mortality, rate. She contributes this to the possibility of “good gun laws”.

            Moreover, there are statistics showing that the murder rate in America has dropped significantly over the last few decades. “In fact, 2011 marks the lowest murder rate since stats have been kept, beginning in 1960. The highest murder rate was actually in 1980, a year not known for its gaming acumen” (Fleming, 2013).  With this being said, the argument can be made for the lack of effect violent video games have on avid gamers. People who promote these games say that it is a way to release aggression through an alternate world. Instead of violence being performed in real-life situations, they are acted out in a fake reality.

            The US News and the University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper have featured articles that refute the accusation that violent video games cause aggression.

“In fact, past research conducted on the link between violent video games and physical violence never appears consistent, which is why the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that violent video game content could not be regulated by governments and was constitutional under the First Amendment” (Carlson, 2013).

The article goes on to further state the irresponsibility of lawmakers to use multi-media as scapegoats to explain the violence that is shown in the US today. “According to FBI statistics, youth violence has declined in recent years as computer and video game popularity soared” (Gallagher, 2010). Parental controls are built into all current-generation game consoles, so that the parent’s standards can be enforced. Many lay claim to the fact that it is poor parenting that causes an increase in aggression. If violent video games cause certain individuals to become excited with emotion—in the form of aggression—then it is the parent’s right and responsibility to monitor their child’s behavior and game consumption.

It is an ongoing controversy, in regards to the effects of violent video games. Many people state that the research on violent video games proving ill-effects was done with inaccurate testing. However, through observations and controlled testing researchers have proven that violent video games heighten emotional aggression after playing for at least 15 minutes. This is a controversy that will not go away in the near futures, especially with the advancement in technology and the increase sales of violent video games. The makers of such games will always fight for their right to sell the products to whom they wish, while advocates of children will defend innocence and vote to make parents aware of the negative effects of violent video games.

This argument all comes down to choice. The parents or guardians have the right to monitor and/or limit their child’s intake of violent video games, as well as, their responsibility to promote acceptable behavior while discouraging aggression. It all comes down to parenting. Video game makers will always have violent video games on the market. However, a parent/guardian doesn’t have to buy it for their child, or allow that child to play it.

 

 

Works Cited

 

Carey, B. (2013, February 11). Shooting in the Dark. The New York Times. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/science/studying-the-effects-of-playing-violent-video-games.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

Carlson, C. (2013, April 8). Don’t blame violent video games. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from The DiamondBack: http://www.diamondbackonline.com/opinion/article_8b3f4b16-a0bd-11e2-a640-0019bb30f31a.html

Ferguson, C. J. (2013, February-March). Violent Video Games and the Supreme Court. American Psychologist, 68(2), pp. 57-74. doi:10.1037/a0030597

Fleming, R. (2013, January 20). Defending violent video games: The ‘NRA is not your friend’ edition. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from Digital Trends: http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/defending-violent-video-games-the-world-isnt-that-bad-edition/

Gallagher, M. D. (2010, May 10). Video Games Don’t Cause Children to be Violent. Retrieved from US News: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2010/05/10/video-games-dont-cause-children-to-be-violent

Hasan, Y., Begue, L., Scharkow, M., & Bushman, B. J. (2012, November 22). The More You Play, the More Aggressive You Become: A Long-term Experimental Study of Cumulative Violent Video Game Effects on Hostile Expectations and Aggressive Behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology(49), pp. 224-227. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from http://fallenapple.biz/Articles/Bushman_More%20You%20Play.pdf

Honorof, M. (2013, February 11). Congresswoman Defends Violent Video Games. Retrieved from The Escapist: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122050-Congresswoman-Defends-Violent-Videogames

PBS Newshour. (2013, February 19). Can Violent Video Games Play a Role in Violent Behavior? Retrieved April 19, 2013, from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/jan-june13/videogames_02-19.html

Prokarym, M. (2012, December). The Effect of Video Games on Aggressive Behavior in Undergraduate Students. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from https://dspace.uta.edu/bitstream/handle/10106/11536/Prokarym_uta_2502M_11974.pdf?sequence=1