The effects of violent video games on adolescent behavior - Essay Example

THE EFFECTS OF VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES ON ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR Hypothesis The present study tested the following 4 hypotheses concerning video game elements resulting from GAM-1. experiencing violent video games can have positive association with trait aggression2. experiencing violent video games is optimistically associated with hostility in naturalistic surroundings, namely physical clashes and disagreements with teachers3. trait aggression restrains the effects of belligerent video game experience on hostile behaviors4.

Trait enmity intercede the influences of violent video game experience on aggressive actions. Additionally, 2 more hypotheses were tested which are rate of video game play is harmfully connected to performance in schools and rate of video game play is not linked with violent behaviors.MethodologyThe sample of the research included 496 participants of 8th standard and 111 participants of 9th grade. Students were engaged from 4 Midwestern schools that included one metropolitan private school, 1 countryside public school and 2 uptown public schools.

Average ages of the participants were 14 years and 52 percent of the sample population was males. Data had been gathered within 4th April and 2nd May 2000. The student’s parents were contacted directly through mail that seeked their consent for their kid’s participation in the study. Each respondent answered an anonymous questionnaire that collected descriptive information regarding the students’ attitudes, knowledge about video games and habits, as well as performance at school, a measure of trait hostility and demographic data.

ResultsThe participants were asked to rate the extent of aggression in their 3 preferred games on a 7-point scale and the results showed that 62 percent of the games referred to had been rated as containing some hostility and 37 percent were rated as containing aggression at or above the midpoint of the range. The male respondents were less expected to name games without aggression as their preferred games. Also, in general 23 percent of the participants were indicated to get involved into disputes with their teachers ‘‘almost daily’’ or ‘‘almost weekly’’, and 34 percent were reported of getting involved into a fight within the last year.

It was assumed that encountering video game aggression will be totally associated with the violent attitudes, such as physical fights and arguments with teachers. This supposition was established. Thus it can be definitely concluded that students who are more engaged into violent video games are more expected to have been caught up in physical conflicts with others and involved into disputes with teachers more often (Gentile and et. al., 2004).GeneralizationThroughout the last 25 years, a good number of studies have assessed the impacts of video games on adolescents or children.

A greater part of the present study has investigated relations between aggressive behavior and video game usage; however this is a generalized thought that every video game is harmful for the kids.LimitationsSince the study has been conducted on a limited sample therefore this cannot form the ultimate conclusion about the effects of violent video games as the results will not be similar for every child. Moreover the other factors that make a child’s performance poorer have been ignored throughout the study.

ReferencesGentile and et. al. (2004). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance. Journal of Adolescence, 27 (2004) 5–22.