Research finds violent video games DO make players aggressive

[qubit]

Here we go again. "It was that violent video game wot made me do it your honour!!" Sure. Perhaps it has more to do with the idiotic reprobate playing it than the kind of game it is?

The report by the American Psychological Association Task Force on Violent Media said: "The research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behaviour, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in pro-social behaviour, empathy and sensitivity to aggression."

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/598376/violent-video-games-players-aggressive

 

[Aquinus]

I think it does if you're already predisposed to anger issues. Just because one segment of the population might have negative effects from video games does not mean that everyone will. I suspect this is just a matter of already being at risk for being an angry person unless you're talking about children growing up playing excessively violent video games, but not an adult.

 

[64K]

I don't think videogames make people more violent. If you take the violence out of videogames then kids will still be exposed to it in movies, internet, books etc. I guess one could make the argument that with movies, internet and books you are a spectator while in games you are actively making your character do violent things while immersed in the game but I can only really speak for myself. I'm exposed to a lot of violence in games and I'm not violent at all in real life.

 

[AphexDreamer]

In my opinion it doesn't make a person more violent but I do think it can act as a catalyst to few people who may be suppressing or failing to suppress rage.

The key thing being that the violence was already there to begin with and that it was never the Video Game that put it there.

 

[Guitar]

Videogames do not make you violent. It is as much of a scapegoat as owning a gun makes you a murderer.


That being said, how exactly was this study done? What was the control group? What were the games? These all matter significantly. I am a very competitive person, and will rage at losing in anything. Videogames a lot, especially something like CS:GO where I get robbed of a kill or killed out of nowhere - if I'm at home I'll yell out loud because I can and nobody is around. With friends or something? I might look visibly mad or make a noise, but not going to yell and bitch about it. Same thing when I play foosball at work - I don't like losing but I don't get angry or violent. What exactly is considered violent? If I was in a pro match and I got knocked out and killed and we lost, of course I'd be angry, mostly at myself/the game; but I'm not going to go beat someone up or some shit like that. So videogames having a link to anger (temporary in my case and I feel like most, as I can differentiate videogames from real life and don't take out anything on anybody)? Then yeah I could see that for sure. I get mad at Tetris when I miss a block, because I'm competitive and want to win. Violence? If you're already going to murder someone, videogames aren't going to push you over that edge, I think that's complete bullshit. We've got movies, games, even music that portray super realistic versions of violence that videogames tend to not even see as it is more cartooned/unrealistic. Videogames are super popular in more recent years, so they're becoming an even bigger scapegoat as people who don't play them and aren't in the culture fail to try to understand them. Same sort of thing with legalization of marijuana IMO.

 

[qubit]

Exactly, people. If someone is affected by it, then they were like that anyway. It's completely wrong to then censor these games for everyone else just because of them.

 

[95Viper]

IMO, not the games fault... person was already at the point of going off the deep end; and, the game was a form of trying to relieve that pressure from the bottle, so to say.
Works in some, I guess; and, not so much in others.

 

[TheGuruStud]

TIL that video games have existed as long as humans and our ancestors have existed. What else could make little cave man Timmy a monster?

Goddamn this nanny (and ninny) society.

 

[RejZoR]

Aggression in games does not equate aggression in real world. We understand the difference between real world and virtual. If I want to kill everyone in a game, that doesn't mean I want to do the same in real world. And I'm a gamer for mor than 20 years. So I guess I know a thing or two about that. I think there are a lot of people with so much distance in gaming...

 

[Jetster]

I have to admit. Sometimes when I get in traffic I fantasize about GTA V. My theory is the higher degree you get the dumber you become.

 

[erocker]

Have a look at what around 200 academics in the field say about the report: http://www.scribd.com/doc/223284732...posing-APA-Policy-Statements-on-Violent-Media

 

[Frag_Maniac]

It's the same thing with guns. Guns don't commit crimes, people do, and the majority of random shootings you see these days are more about mental illness not being taken seriously enough. Lots of times there are clear warning signs that go ignored. Like when Chris Kyle and a military friend (American Sniper) got killed by another vet whom was known to be schizophrenic. Letting someone with such severe illness go to a gun range with you is akin to letting a person with epilepsy drive down the freeway.

It's not games that are making people violent, and anyone claiming so are the ones that should be studied. Games are just a random vehicle some such people happen to use to vent. It could be a number of things, but because it happens to be an activity that's an interactive medium, it gets picked on as the cause.

I voted No as you would expect, but I have to say, I take issue with the 5th choice even being on the poll. What's the point of having such a poll if you're going to just be sarcastic about it? It did nothing but encourage several voters to select it, as if this isn't a serious issue. If it gets to the point of games being dumbed down in violence because of such so called "studies", then you'll take it seriously.

Anyways, my biggest gripe is that the movie industry seems to be void of such scrutiny. Video gaming can't seem to catch a break, even now that it's the biggest entertainment industry, and a large part of the economy because of it.

 

[qubit]

Have a look at what around 200 academics in the field say about the report: http://www.scribd.com/doc/223284732...posing-APA-Policy-Statements-on-Violent-Media

Nice find.

 

[Atomic77]

No I don't think violent games make you aggressive. I have played a lot of violent games myself and I am not any different then I usally am.

 

[AsRock]

Some people are just not right in the head to begin with problem is is finding those people before they play such games.

My wife loves SAW but she's not going around popping peoples heads, as for my self i play a load of Arma over the years and i still don't want to join the arma haha. but seriously i don't want to go around shooting people.

Some people just cannot separate reality from gaming, how ever i have played a game to much which does have a side effect and that's dreams but still still not knee capping people because of some pathetic reason \ excuse.

Would i shoot some one if needed ?, well i believe i would but you never know until the time comes but i do believe i would if family was involved.

UK and the US are so fucked up on so many things on so many levels but being able to defend your self is some thing taken seriously in the US.

 

[ShiBDiB]

Madden makes me good at football

 

[Solaris17]

hitting women is ok because daddy did it right?

 

[TheGuruStud]

Madden makes me good at football

The announcing on Madden might make you go mad and kill people, though.

See, dem vidya games are bad! I told yer boy!

*This was brought to you buy the Hillary Clinton campaign*

 

[Blue-Knight]

Well, I do not know if I am the only here. But video games do inspire and suggest what should I do in certain cases (e.g. got angry with someone? I could just do what I saw in that game, it would be amazing).

I voted yes. LOL!

P.S. There is so much violence in the world already, I see no reason to seek for that in video games. I'd rather play a fun game and have some fun. Seriously.

 

[AsRock]

decreases in pro-social behaviour

So do phones but i bet they wont ban those annoying things

 

[Robert-The-Rambler]

I blow stuff up in games all the time. That doesn't mean I'm the Unabomber to be. Such silly waste of time and money in these research projects. Of course the answer is no. The demon is inside you if you become a monster. Some people can't be helped.

 

[v12dock]

Research finds 100% people who breathe air will die

 

[Mussels]

you can also look around for a bunch of studies that state that venting your anger makes you more angry.

Its the same thing - these people are merely venting online, making themselves more angry. the medium doesn't matter.

 

[Toothless]

If these researchers were correct, then after playing GTA4 I'd go out, break into a car, hotwire it, and run everyone over.

I don't even know how to drive.

 

[Blue-Knight]

I don't even know how to drive.

http://goo.gl/G0yJgw