Comm 309 Week 4 Notes Lecture 7 Video Game Violence Effects and Controversy Sexual content can be regulated but violence is not Video Game Mechanisms Violent video games to have an effect due to The Supreme Court rules against Arnold S law of selling violent video games to people under 18 o Identification with the aggressor you are the aggressor in violent video games o Active participation you are controlling the game o Repetitive actions learning process occurs more rapidly o Reinforcement for aggressive actions In a study people played violent and nonviolent games on a 2D monitor 2D projector and 3D projector o No matter what the display all the violent video games scored higher on anger the 3D projector the most Research suggests that a substantial number of video games contain some type of violent content o This violence often Involves a constant hurting or killing of others There is no punishment for killing The more you kill the more you are rewarded The killing is almost always seen as justified What are the Effects 3 types of studies you can have 1 Experimental lab studies 2 Cross sectional looking at different age groups 3 Longitudinal studies looking at people over time If you compare TV and movies to video games o For experimental studies media violence in video games increases aggression N 1300 while media violence on TV increases N 9000 o For cross sectional studies media violence in video games increases aggression N 4000 while media violence on TV increases aggression N 37 000 o For longitudinal studies media violence in video games increases N 400 while media violence on TV increases aggression N 4000 The American Psychological Association in 2005 called for resolution on violence in video games interactive media calls for reduction of violence in video games marketed to children and youth o They argued that if you looked at the effects of violent interactive video games you would find that it Increases aggressive behavior Increases aggressive thoughts Increases angry feelings Increases physiological arousal Decreases helpful behavior Four Key Questions about Violent Video Games Anderson 1 Is the research evidence consistent consistent patterns 2 Is there causal evidence does the research suggest that playing a violent video game causes aggressive behavior 3 Is there evidence of effects on seriously aggressive behavior criminal activities 4 Is there a good theory graph on d2l Aggressive Behavior in Video Game Studies Punishment level for opponent Hitting kicking punching biting Fights in school Physical assault Robbery Verbal aggression Teacher ratings Peer ratings Parent ratings Graph on d2l Risk Factors for Youth Violence Graph on d2l New Research on Brain Activity Research finds that children who play violent video games or watch violent TV can become violent themselves a study looked at if this effect could be more profound on their brains that affect this behavior One study said that one week of violent video game play alters prefrontal activity study design on d2l o Violent game group showed less activity in areas that involved emotions attention and inhibition of our impulses when presented with violent words o Violent game players showed decreased brain activity in the parts of the brain that regulate attention and concentration o Brain activity reverted back to normal after a week of non playing What We Know Violent video games increase likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in the immediate situation and over time No group age personality sex etc appears wholly immune Children and adolescents are highly exposed What We Don t Know Why are violent video games so popular very interactive arousing a lot of action going on What aspects of violent games have the biggest impact My friend watches a lot of violent media and has killed no one we only think of extreme Third person effect I play and it doesn t affect me it might affect other people We understand biological processes more than psychological The media denies effects Agenda Setting Why Do We Deny Effects behaviors Myths about the Effects viewers or players 1 Researchers see violent content in the media or video games as the direct cause of effects in It is the accumulation of risk factors not direct When scientific research documents a causal effect of violent games on aggression this means that violent games are ONE risk factor increasing the likelihood of aggressive behaviors Research example d2l slide 2 It s only make believe violence Some Huesmann Longitudinal Measures o Spouse abuse o Serious physical aggression o Criminal behavior 3 Small fraction of individuals affected and effect size is small Small fraction from a large population has social implications Meta analyses reveal that violent video games effect sizes are larger than the effect of second hand smoke on lung cancer 4 Those who find effects for media violence are biased Why the Debate There is a general perception among journalists and the public that the issue of whether media violence causes aggressive behavior is undecided a 10 1 consensus still seems to persuade journalists that there is a debate Conclusions It is clear to me that the causal relationship between televised violence and antisocial behavior is sufficient to warrant appropriate and immediate remedial action There comes a time when the data are sufficient to justify action That time has come US Surgeon General 1972 Lecture 8 Mass Media Sex Content and Effects Teens Media and Sex Teens rank media as top source of info Graph on d2l Third Person Effects o 32 said a lot o 40 said somewhat o 22 said only a little o 6 said not at all o 6 said a lot o 16 said somewhat o 28 said only a little o 50 said not at all We think that these things don t affect us but they affect others A study asked How much if at all do you think the sexual behaviors on TV influence the sexual behaviors of teens your age They also asked How much if at all do you think the sexual behaviors on TV influence your own sexual behavior Another study asked parents How much if at all do you think exposure to sexual content in the media contributes to children becoming involved in sexual situations before they are ready of parents who favor new regulations to limit the amount of sex and violence in TV shows o 55 said a lot o 30 said somewhat o 11 said only a little o 3 said not at all during the early evening hours o 66 favor new regulations o 30 oppose new regulations o 4 don t know Sexual Content in