No Link Between Violent Video Games and Increased Aggression in Teens, Study Finds (gamesindustry.biz) 88
A new study from the Oxford Internet Institute claims to have found no link between time spent playing violent video games, and increased aggressive behavior teen teenagers. From a report: Published in Royal Society Open Science, the study is "one of the most definitive to date" according to the University of Oxford. While many studies have previously made similar and contrary claims, lead researcher professor Andrew Przybylski said the "idea that violent video games drive real-world aggression is a popular one, but it hasn't tested very well over time". According to the university, this study is set apart from previous work by preregistration, where researchers publish their hypothesis, methods and analysis technique before beginning research.
"Part of the problem in technology research is that there are many ways to analyze the same data, which will produce different results," said Przybylski. "A cherry-picked result can add undue weight to the moral panic surrounding video games. The registered study approach is a safeguard against this." This was supported by co-author Dr Netta Weinstein from Cardiff University who said: "Our findings suggest that researcher biases might have influenced previous studies on this topic, and have distorted our understanding of the effects of video games."
"Part of the problem in technology research is that there are many ways to analyze the same data, which will produce different results," said Przybylski. "A cherry-picked result can add undue weight to the moral panic surrounding video games. The registered study approach is a safeguard against this." This was supported by co-author Dr Netta Weinstein from Cardiff University who said: "Our findings suggest that researcher biases might have influenced previous studies on this topic, and have distorted our understanding of the effects of video games."
Teens (Score:3)
Re:Teens (Score:4, Insightful)
Being a Teenager is a source of aggression.
It is an interesting combination of near adult intelligence combined with an emotional maturity of a kid, then added to it, during that stage of development, their risk center of their brain is getting rewired.
So they know when they are not being treated fairly, their emotional state cannot be easily calmed, and let it just be ignored. The risk of being violent to the source that hurt them, isn't properly weighed. All in all just a bad combination.
Video games, organized sports, music, comic books, at least do a good job of distracting them enough to allow what ever slight against them, to be forgotten or at least given enough time for the intelligent part of the person to take over. Probably the worse thing to do, is allow the kid to stew in their own anger, only feeding back to itself. But a game even a violent one, just changes the topic.
Re: (Score:2)
Well you need to get off the Right Wing media news.
What modern progressives need are "good men" who will not bully, harass, and general make the lives more difficult for transsexuals, ladyboys, gays, lesbians, furies and cross-dressers.
There seems to be something missing in the dialog, where if you identify as part of the current power base (white, christian, heterosexual, male) that somehow tolerating other groups at a minimum, or welcoming them into your power base somehow will diminish you and your ide
Re: (Score:2)
welcoming them into your power base somehow will diminish you and your identity.
Well, it will.
The "baby boom" was quite literally that. The boomer generation was a giant bubble of largely white, christian, English-speaking, middle-class individuals. That's the world they grew up in. Before that the US was more diverse and there were more languages spoken, but that giant explosion of kids swamped that and really changed the demographic makeup of a lot of the US.
Now that bubble is behind us, and the US is becoming less white and less English speaking. It's returning to normal, although t
Re: (Score:2)
There was a knifing at the local Catholic girls' school the other day. Girl had been bullied for years, got sick of it, brought a knife to school, and slashed another girl's leg. Teenage girls are pretty nasty, too.
Re: (Score:2)
Teenage girls get violent too, often for the same reasons.
But you are not going stop the competition to get the attention of the desired sex, no matter how much community service and sports. It is like almost everyone has been a product of sexual urges for millions of years.
The real problem with Toxic Masculinity is the lack of good roll models. If a child doesn't have a good roll model, then they will follow what the other kids are doing. Because this other kid is the roll model (even if he has a good adu
Re: (Score:2)
I'm wondering where all the "correlation isn't causation" posts are.
Re:Teens (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm wondering where all the "correlation isn't causation" posts are.
The correlation is in the other direction. Video games first became popular in the 1990s, and were correlated with a dramatic decline in violent crime. Part of this was likely from other factors, such as a reduction in blood lead levels, and demographic changes (fewer people in the prime-crime age group), but it is also likely that video games helped keep kids at home in their mom's basement instead of out on the street getting in trouble.
Even today, violent crime is more common among low income teenagers, who have the least access to video games.
None of this proves causation, but the correlation is "more video games" <=> "less violence".
Re: (Score:2)
"None of this proves causation, but the correlation is "more video games" "less violence"."
Interesting, do you think that more violent video game players correlates with more violent verbal exchanges on social media.
Re: (Score:3)
Every week there are conflicting articles appearing about this subject on these pages
No there aren't. Researchers have consistently failed to find any causative relationship between video games and violence. We have seen article after article, all saying basically the same thing.
Those claiming video games cause violence are politicians and publicity seekers, not scientists.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
"Those claiming video games cause violence are politicians and publicity seekers, not scientists."
Violence begets violence, no ? Isn't also possible to always reject Causality when it comes to behaviors that are driven by multiple complex factors.
And superficially (I didn't look at the study) how is a parent's evaluation of their children's level of violent behavior a sound measure in the studie's context.
Re:This isn't news. (Score:4, Insightful)
I have been reading these studies for over 20 years. Why is this even new? The outcome is always the same in each study.
It's not new. We see the same studies over and over again- and everyone acts surprised every time. SURPRISE- violent video games do not cause violence (in your typical teenager).
Now, notice I saw "typical"; I think, even though the vast majority of children can differentiate between video game violence and real life violence, there are some for whom it could be a trigger.
Just because in 99% of children violent video games don't cause violence- it doesn't mean that that last 1% WON'T. Parent's need to be responsible, if your kids is one of those who are easily influence by video games to mix the imaginary worlds with the real, or has mental health problems, you probably should use more care in what games your kids play.
For the other 99%, let them shoot, stab, and impale!
Re: (Score:2)
posting to undo bad moderation, sorry.
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly right. If your kid shoots up a school, you should remove any violent video games from their computer.
Indeed... although, also, my kid showed easy influence from media at an early age. From TV, to computer games- he would act out what he saw and that included violence. He was one of those "1%" (and 1% is a guess, I don't know what the real number is). So we've steered him away from access to violent video games. I recognized the bad influence in him... but I do believe him to be in the minority, he is also on the autism spectrum, and that may or may not have had something to do with it.
Just because my k
Has it been a year already? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
My youngest son doesn't take advice well and I think he enjoys starting stuff. I've been telling him for years that it's not going to be someone bigger than him or a better fighter or even someone with a gun but he is going to mess with the wrong person and they are going snap. He will unfortunately find out too late that they are just plain crazy, probably when they hit him with a car or truck.
Re: (Score:2)
Way to blame the victim for being bullied, Anonymous Coward.
Another Sign (Score:2)
on how dumb humans have become or just are. We never needed a study for something like this. We humans seem to think we know so much that we are certain of everything around us.
Human Stupidity is truly boundless, just as Einstein said.
Stay tuned... next time someone finds a link, and then unfinds it, then finds it again.
Back and forth we all go, thinking that we are in the know...
and by the time its all done, the lesson learned is we are dumb!
Re: (Score:2)
Even though your attempt is clearly meant to be insulting, its true.
I can recognize all sorts of dumb things I have done in life. I also recognize all sorts of dumb things others have done in life. It is the people that refuse to accept that they are dumb and do dumb things that are the worst among us.
Re: (Score:3)
You missed the key-component here: The preregistration. The actual finding here is that most previous studies had flawed results due to a faulty approach.
Social Priming (Score:5, Interesting)
There was this concept that was en vogue in the 1990s and 2000s called "Social Priming." The idea was, if you are exposed to violence, or bigotry, or sexism, or other anti-social behaviors through media, you were more likely to adopt those behaviors. There were a few influential studies that proved the theory to be true.
Then, a few years ago, there was a bit of a scandal when a group of researchers attempted to re-create these studies and couldn't get the same findings. If I recall correctly, the impetus for some of these re-tests where the dearth of evidence coming from video game violence studies. This study seems to line up with previous findings.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, people usually are a product of their environments, the problem with that concept is that the result of that product is up to the person.
If the person is abused as a child they could be abusive as well or anti-abusive... both positions are likely a product of their environment because one never got over it and the other resolved that they would not continue the chain of abuse. Because of this, people get a false idea of the concept of "Social Priming"
I posit that it is not Social Priming that creates
Re:Social Priming (Score:4, Insightful)
The idea was, if you are exposed to violence, or bigotry, or sexism, or other anti-social behaviors through media, you were more likely to adopt those behaviors.
Some of the most extreme intolerance seems to originate with people who grew up so sheltered from bigotry that they cannot distinguish actual prejudice from honest disagreement.
Re: (Score:2)
The difference is between actual research (were you want to find truth) and "research" were the goal is propaganda to promote some popular misconceptions. The idea of "Social Priming" is shallow, basic and stupid, and has the intellectual level of "A causes A", which rarely is true. But a lot of people, including a lot of politicians, think that way and it gives the opportunity to "do something", even if that something is horribly wrong.
What we see here is an example of actual research, done by people with
So angry (Score:1)
God damn it, I just want to kill whoever keeps bringing out these studies!
There are so many studies providing conclusive evidence on both sides of this debate. It's almost as bad as the science of healthy food - just believe whatever you want and 80 studies back it up.
Here Is the money quote (Score:3)
From TFA:
Although there was no correlation found between playing video games and agressive behaviour in tennagers, researchers noted that games can provoke angry feelings or reactions.
This is EXACTLY why this stupid myth keeps coming up. People see kids yelling when playing video games and they think "Oh my they are getting violent".
Nope. Maybe they aren't even mad at others, just themselves. The yelling blows away any aggression in short order, and it's pretty much gone when you stop playing. THAT is why there is demonstrably no link between an increase in violence and video games.
If you want to see a much of extra real violence and stupidity, take a bunch of bored teens and put them out of the house all day.
Once upon a time.... (Score:2)
Who knows what they'll try to blame troubled youth on in the next generation?
Re: (Score:2)
Who knows what they'll try to blame troubled youth on in the next generation?
If it's going to be as big as those earlier excuses, I want to know what it is so I can buy stock in it.
I don't know about that (Score:3)
Oh wait, I'm not a teen, I'm pushing past 40. Does that still count?
Look further back in the kid's history (Score:3)
I'm sure the bullsh*t and drivel that passes for an elementary school education these days has a lot to do with it. What would really be interesting to see is whether or not there is a link between playing violent video games and DECREASED aggression.
Re: (Score:2)
Meh. This has been studied to death, and study after study concludes that there is no causation. How many studies does it take before people stop being utterly terrified of letting young people do things that they consider fun, out of some bizarre puritanical fear that playing video games will somehow scar them for life?
/s Video Games caused World Wars ... (Score:2)
/sarcasm Video Games caused World War 1 & 2 where millions died. Oh wait, video games were invented AFTER these tragedies.
Gee, maybe genocide video games such as FPS / RPG / RTS, etc. genres are providing a safe outlet for man's natural violent tendencies. They are a symptom, not a cause.
Different factors (Score:2)
There are all sorts of things that have increased overtime that might be a cause. Boys being raised in households without a father would be a prime place to look. If they find that as a better cause, then you have to factor that in when you consider this factor at a later date.
Thought we did this already with Jack Thompson (Score:2)
Well, son of a bitch:
https://comicbook.com/gaming/2... [comicbook.com]
Really?!? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
See sports where there is an opportunity to physically hurt someone - American Football, Football, Australian Rules (Geez mate, he must have run 50 meters to get in on that fight), Rugby, Lacrosse etc. How many of those sports are stuffed to the gills with psycopaths?
Then VS now, (Score:2)
When I was 13, I was out smoking weed and breaking shit for fun. My 13 year old is hanging out in his room, gaming with his "friends" online, and watching kids on youtube smoke weed and break shit for fun.
I'm certain the urge to be a asshole teenager is still there, it's just easier to release the beast digitally, be it online videos, online gaming, or trolling forums.
The massive popularity of online shooters and other ultra violent games means that the kid that's been torturing animals under the overpass i
Statistics (Score:2)
Newsflash: 98% of violent teens play violent video games.
Not mentioned: 98% of teens play violent video games.
DejaMoo (Score:3)
The feeling I have heard this bullshit before. Oh wait, I have. When I was growing up and we didn't have realistic video games. We had our imagination and AD&D. Same class of fools thought we where all going to turn into axe murdering psychopaths. Another class of fools thought we had sold our souls to satan.
Well been playing table top rollplaying games for 35 years. I've yet to go on an axe based killing spree. Come to think of it I can't recall anyone I know doing it ether.
Same bullshit, different bunch of fools
Re: (Score:1)
I've yet to go on an axe based killing spree
Why so specific? What other kinds of killing sprees have you been on? What are your plans for future killing sprees?
idiot researchers (Score:2)
idiot researchers don't see the connection. My grandson acknowledged the connection after he was charged following a violent assault.
asshole parents? (Score:2)
can someone do a study to see if there's a link between teen aggression and having assholes for parents?
maybe we can pass legislation to ban those?
My study (Score:2)
Aggression, Parents and Crime reduction (Score:1)
I suspect what is meant by aggression needs to be defined in the high level summaries for these kinds of studies (I'm sure the researchers are much more specific in their paper). Any parent of most any teenage boy who's been told to turn the game off will thoroughly concur that video games cause negative behavior that can definitely be described as aggressive. Of course, you're likely to get that reaction to trying to stop any sort of addictive behavior. We should care a lot more about how video games ar