There’s been a long term debate and a lot of buzz about whether playing violent video games really makes people more aggressive. A recent study by Kühn et al. (2018) dives into this topic, and I found it pretty eye-opening.
The researchers looked at how playing a violent game, Grand Theft Auto V, compared to a non-violent game, The Sims 3, over two months affected players' behavior. They divided participants into three groups, one group played the violent game, another played the non-violent game, and the last group didn’t play any games at all. This setup was designed to see if long-term gameplay had any real impact on aggression and other psychological factors.
What’s interesting is that while some earlier studies showed that playing violent games could lead to short bursts of aggressive thoughts, this new research suggests those effects don’t stick around. The researchers found that after two months of gameplay, there were no significant changes in aggression levels among the players. This challenges the idea that violent video games automatically lead to aggressive behavior.
To measure aggression, the study used various tests, including word completion tasks. Surprisingly, most of these tests didn’t show any major differences between the groups. This makes me think that the connection between violent gaming and aggression might not be as clear-cut as we often hear. The study also pointed out that many previous studies focused on short gaming sessions, which might not reflect real-life situations. By looking at longer gameplay, the researchers found that continuous gaming didn’t lead to the expected increases in aggression or negative social interactions.
In the end, this research suggests that while violent video games are often blamed for aggressive behavior, the reality is much more complicated. It's worth considering that potential biases in past studies could have significant ethical implications. If researchers selectively report findings that support the idea that violent games lead to aggression, it can misinform the public. This could lead to unnecessary stigma against gamers. It’s crucial for future research to be transparent and comprehensive to ensure that published work is based on accurate and balanced evidence.
Kühn, S., Kugler, D. T., Schmalen, K., Weichenberger, M., Witt, C., & Gallinat, J. (2018). Does playing violent video games cause aggression? A longitudinal intervention study. Molecular Psychiatry, 24(8), 1220–1234. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0031-7
Thanks for the great post Josh! This is a very interesting study and I wonder if an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex plays a role. I know that young minds can be extremely impressionable, and the reality is that there are just too many factors. From the child's upbringing, social life, and parents, video games can often be a platform for them to unleash pent up emotions. The unnecessary stigma that arises is also not doing any favors for the child and simply placing blame onto one aspect is not the solution. Once again, great blog post!
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