Violent Video Games and Aggression

Two studies examined the relationship between exposure to violent video games and aggression or violence in the laboratory and in real life. Study 1 participants were either randomized or allowed to choose to play a violent or nonviolent game. Although males were more aggressive than females, neithe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Criminal justice and behavior 2008-03, Vol.35 (3), p.311
Main Authors: Ferguson, Christopher J, Rueda, Stephanie M, Cruz, Amanda M, Ferguson, Diana E, Fritz, Stacey, Smith, Shawn M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggressiveness
Computer & video games
Criminal justice
Domestic violence
Personality
Studies
Violent crime
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Summary:Two studies examined the relationship between exposure to violent video games and aggression or violence in the laboratory and in real life. Study 1 participants were either randomized or allowed to choose to play a violent or nonviolent game. Although males were more aggressive than females, neither randomized exposure to violent-video-game conditions nor previous real-life exposure to violent video games caused any differences in aggression. Study 2 examined correlations between trait aggression, violent criminal acts, and exposure to both violent games and family violence. Results indicated that trait aggression, family violence, and male gender were predictive of violent crime, but exposure to violent games was not. Structural equation modeling suggested that family violence and innate aggression as predictors of violent crime were a better fit to the data than was exposure to video game violence. These results question the common belief that violent-video-game exposure causes violent acts. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0093-8548
1552-3594