New study links child aggression to video games

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 05 November 2008 08:39

Opinion and Analysis

The discussion points out of the study indicate that there is now evidence to say that despite the violence levels of a culture (U.S. versus the more collective culture of Japan), habitual playing of violent video games leads to increases in physical aggression some months later.

Given 95 percent of our children (at least in Australia) consider themselves video gamers, should this be a worry for society?  Well possibly, though the study authors themselves point to a number of gaps within the data used in the paper, these results will add ammunition to those calling for further control over violent media that is accessible by the younger members of society .

In response the the study, the Entertainment Consumers Association (out of the U.S) said:For the better part of the past decade we – game consumers, makers, sellers and creators – have been waiting for the results of an unbiased, longitudinal and comprehensive study to be done which will inform us about the potential harmful effects of entertainment products on our children. Unfortunately, with the report published in the latest issue of Pediatrics, we remain waiting,” said Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), the non-profit organization which represents the rights of video and computer gamers.

One of the ways in which our stance is likely very different from others in the discussion on the subject is that the ECA would encourage more and better research on the matter. The problem has been, and apparently continues to be, that the agenda of the researchers supersedes our want and need for inclusiveness of all media… not just games – for the overtly sensationalistic spin that will inevitably be employed – to the exclusion of music and movies. We remain optimistic that longitudinal research that is truly comprehensive, objective and inclusive will be performed and shared, but sadly that day has not yet come.

Other doubters of the study have also emerged.  In response to the studies statement  “We now have conclusive evidence that playing violent video games has harmful effects on children and adolescents. “, Texas A&M International University researcher Christopher Ferguson, according to GamePolitics.com , felt compelled to write a letter to Pediatrics.

In the literature review the authors suggest that research on video game violence is consistent when this is hardly the case. The authors here simply ignore a wide body of research which conflicts with their views...

The authors fail to control for relevant "third" variables that could easily explain the weak correlations that they find. Family violence exposure for instance, peer group influences, certainly genetic influences on aggressive behavior are just a few relevant variables that ought either be controlled or at minimum acknowledged as alternate causal agents for (very small) link between video games and aggression...

Lastly the authors link their results to youth violence in ways that are misleading and irresponsible. The authors do not measure youth violence in their study. The [research tool used] is not a violence measure, nor does it even measure pathological aggression. Rather this measure asks for hypothetical responses to potential aggressive situations, not actual aggressive behaviors.

I guess the research to and fro begins again.  Just like a game of Pong.