There is much debate and uncertainty over the question, Do violent video games "cause" children to behave more aggressively?
Allow me to attempt a rephrase of the inquiry -
Does the playing violent video games of type V (or typified by V) by children of age A and personality type P and social environment S cause a greater likelihood of behavior B over a span of time T?
Yes, I think it's a complex issue . . . as the research suggests, but contrary to what people desiring simple answers prefer.
A recent finding generated a null result on a simple connection between violent video games and aggression. Somewhat sadly, the title gave a different impression. Null news always seems to get neglected.
From, Playing Highly Competitive Video Games May Lead to Aggressive Behavior -
[R]esearchers found video game violence alone did not elevate aggressive behavior. However, more competitive games produced greater levels of aggressive behavior than less competitive games, no matter how much violence was in the games, according to research published online in Psychology of Violence. [emphasis mine]
Hmmm. Does that explain why my nephew might, upon beating his equally competitive uncle at Scrabble, cry out when making his winning move, "Eat this! That's quiche on double letter and triple word score!"
One element that the researchers noted was that elevated heart rate during play increased the likelihood of an aggressive act.
If you are easily excited, maybe I don't want to play a game of poker with you, particularly while doing a Wild West reinactment in a saloon with loaded weapons.
Tags: critical thinking, culture, violence
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