A new study conducted by a research team at Brock University in Canada has reported its findings to be the first indication of a clear link between playing violent video games and increases in aggression and hostile behaviour.
The study, which was published in the journal Developmental Psychology, involved 1,492 adolescents at eight high schools in Ontario. 51 per cent of them were female and 49 per cent were male.
The qualitative methodology employed involved surveys which were carried out annually across four school years. The participants were aged 14 or 15 at the beginning of the study, and 17 or 18 at its conclusion.
The questions asked included whether they frequently punched or kicked other people who made them angry, and how often they pushed or shoved people.
The answers given were used by psychologists to give each individual teenager a score for their aggression level at each point in time.
Critical analysis showed down the track that teenagers who played violent video games over a number of years saw steeper rises in their aggression scores during the study. Others surveyed who regularly played non-violent games apparently did not show any evidence of increased aggression.
The trend of violent video-games and aggression remained even after the researchers considered other factors that could be linked, such as gender, parental divorce and marijuana use.
In terms of gender, the study found that girls who played violent games during their school years were found to be affected just as much as boys.
The research team believed their results were "concerning", and argued that violent games could "reinforce the notion that aggression is an effective and appropriate way to deal with conflict and anger."
The project's lead researcher Professor Teena Willoughby had this to say:
The current study is the first to demonstrate a relation between sustained violent video game play and the progression of aggressive behaviour.
It is clear that there is a long-term association between violent video games and aggression. This is an important and concerning finding, particularly in light of the hours that youth spend playing these games.
What is your opinion on the research conducted? Do you think there is a clear, objective correlation between violent video games and violent behaviour?
Source: The Telegraph
By Nathan Misa