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I have chosen the research article: Violent Video Games and Aggression: A Review of The Literature, written by Mark Griffiths. This article was found on the American Psychological Association.
One of the dominant concern that is persistently highlighted is the association of aggressiveness with several features of video games. A wide range of research has asserted significance on this critical aspect. The individuals who profoundly engage in playing video games can receive detrimental consequences ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"3KbQ4C8C","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression,\\uc0\\u8221{} n.d.)","plainCitation":"(“APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression,” n.d.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":223,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/h6KbaPMu/items/VFDS3QJY"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/h6KbaPMu/items/VFDS3QJY"],"itemData":{"id":223,"type":"webpage","title":"APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression","URL":"https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",3,27]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression,” n.d.). Irrefutably, many video games feature violence, death and retaliation. It can never be, however, implied that all video games inculcate violence and aggressive behavior in individuals.
To begin, the article takes into account the empirical researches conducted comprising self-report procedures, observation of free play and scientific studies. The primary argument lies at the very heart of the postulate that most of the research conducted on the particular matter has methodological ambiguities. For instance, they are inclined towards deliberating the short-term implications of aggressive traits. The most imperative findings of the study reveal the majority of research on children demonstrates that children become more aggressive when engaged in either watching or playing a violent video game. Both the television and video games share a common feature. They offer entertainment value, several physical feature similarities (pace and action) and violent content.
Furthermore, the theoretical paradigm is an explicit illustration of the fact threat that video games possess the potential to promote aggressive aspirations. Similar deliberation is constituted in the social learning theory. For instance, it hypothesizes that aggressive video games will ultimately lead to the adoption of aggressive behavior. In the developmental ages, children inherently advance to imitate the scenes and events they persistently observe on the screens. Nevertheless, the catharsis theory sketches a contradictory picture. It asserts playing violent video games cast a positive impact on the behavior of children. There exist a wide spectrum of studies that examine the intricate aggressive traits associated with video games and subsequent behavior of children. It is imperative to highlight the long-term aggressive traits exhibited by violent video games.
Moreover, Hunt and Griffiths had reported when adolescents who played video games were asked whether or not video games made them violent, they affirmed that video games played an instrumental role in making their behavior aggressive ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"IvMHh1M1","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Griffiths, 1999)","plainCitation":"(Griffiths, 1999)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":221,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/h6KbaPMu/items/SQAJ2JG2"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/h6KbaPMu/items/SQAJ2JG2"],"itemData":{"id":221,"type":"article-journal","title":"Violent video games and aggression: A review of the literature","container-title":"Aggression and Violent Behavior","page":"203-212","volume":"4","issue":"2","source":"APA PsycNET","abstract":"One of the main concerns that has constantly been raised against video games is that most of the games feature aggressive elements. This has led many people to assert that this may have a detrimental effect on individuals who play such games. Despite continuing controversy for over 15 yrs, there has been little in the way of systematic research. This article reviews the empirical studies in this area, including research methodologies such as the observation of free play, self-report methods, and experimental studies. The article argues that all the published studies on video game violence have methodological problems and that they only include possible short-term measures of aggressive consequences. The 1 consistent finding is that the majority of the studies on very young children—as opposed to those in their teens upwards—tend to show that children do become more aggressive after either playing or watching a violent video game. However, all of these come from the use of 1 particular research methodology (i.e., observation of children's free play). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)","DOI":"10.1016/S1359-1789(97)00055-4","ISSN":"1359-1789(Print)","shortTitle":"Violent video games and aggression","author":[{"family":"Griffiths","given":"Mark"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1999"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Griffiths, 1999). The association of aggressive behavior is not portrayed in every child. Essentially, the frequency at which a child engages in playing video games defines the extent of violent behavior. A critical aspect is worthy of being mentioned here. The study noted that a correlation as the aggressive children are inherently urged to play video games instead of their aggression being the outcome of the activity. Besides, a study Fling conducted on 153 high school children noted that the extent of playing video games correlated with the self-reported attitudes of aggression. These studies are limited by certain impediments. For instance, the correlation may not be casual instead ramification of mediating factors as low socio-economic status and low educational attainment may have contributed to the outcome.
To discuss the experimental studies, Lynch postulated that video games constituting violent content are likely to manifest increased cardiovascular responses in adolescents as compared to those who played non-violent games. The research examined the blood pressure and heart rate differences between seventy-six non-hostile and hostile subjects aged between 12 to 16 years. However, both groups were devoid of prominent differences. In another experimental research, Prentice and Lightdale explored the effect of roles on sex dissimilarities utilizing a video game. The results lacked a potential similarity in female and male aggression while playing a video game. However, males exhibited aggressive traits than those exhibited by the female.
Likewise, several studies have evaluated variations in children’s attitude as a consequence of playing a violent video game by discerning the free play of the child ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"LoAX1Ur3","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hollingdale & Greitemeyer, 2014)","plainCitation":"(Hollingdale & Greitemeyer, 2014)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":225,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/h6KbaPMu/items/FVEZUYD9"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/h6KbaPMu/items/FVEZUYD9"],"itemData":{"id":225,"type":"article-journal","title":"The Effect of Online Violent Video Games on Levels of Aggression","container-title":"PLOS ONE","page":"e111790","volume":"9","issue":"11","source":"PLoS Journals","abstract":"Background In recent years the video game industry has surpassed both the music and video industries in sales. Currently violent video games are among the most popular video games played by consumers, most specifically First-Person Shooters (FPS). Technological advancements in game play experience including the ability to play online has accounted for this increase in popularity. Previous research, utilising the General Aggression Model (GAM), has identified that violent video games increase levels of aggression. Little is known, however, as to the effect of playing a violent video game online. Methods/Principal Findings Participants (N = 101) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions; neutral video game—offline, neutral video game—online, violent video game—offline and violent video game—online. Following this they completed questionnaires to assess their attitudes towards the game and engaged in a chilli sauce paradigm to measure behavioural aggression. The results identified that participants who played a violent video game exhibited more aggression than those who played a neutral video game. Furthermore, this main effect was not particularly pronounced when the game was played online. Conclusions/Significance These findings suggest that both playing violent video games online and offline compared to playing neutral video games increases aggression.","DOI":"10.1371/journal.pone.0111790","ISSN":"1932-6203","journalAbbreviation":"PLOS ONE","language":"en","author":[{"family":"Hollingdale","given":"Jack"},{"family":"Greitemeyer","given":"Tobias"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014",11,12]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hollingdale & Greitemeyer, 2014). Mackie and Cooper explored the free play of children aged ten years after watching and playing video games. Williamson and Silvern concluded that individuals aged six years developed aggressive traits comparative to a circumstance when observed in free play after playing violent video games. These studies affirm that there existed no major variations in aggression levels between passive video game observers and video games players. The children playing a jungle video game advanced to prioritizing similar models in the free play. On the contrary, the children playing violent video games became aggressive.
To conclude, the variety of evidence stipulated in the research article highlights that violent video games cast a profound impact on young children in comparison to teenagers. Some ambiguities raise the debate of defining the scope of aggressive or violent behavior. For instance, Tom and Jerry cannot be termed violent within prescribed domains defined by the media. Since video games, generally, are animated, a similar disagreement arises in this case. I believe that the research article critically discussed the influence of violent video games on children's behavior. It is apparent that they can have both adverse and favorable ramifications on the children. The research article can play a dominant role to encourage and make the parents aware of the consequences of permitting their children to play violent video games. The detailed spectrum of the literature review on self-play, observational studies, theoretical manifestations and experimental studies make the research article a potential source to examine the implications of playing violent video games thoroughly.
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2019, from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games
Griffiths, M. (1999). Violent video games and aggression: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 4(2), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-1789(97)00055-4
Hollingdale, J., & Greitemeyer, T. (2014). The Effect of Online Violent Video Games on Levels of Aggression. PLOS ONE, 9(11), e111790. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111790
