Study Reveals Shocking Link Between Video Games and Violence
By Movieguide® Contributor
The question of whether violence in video games begets violence in real life has been asked since the early 2000s; researchers believe they finally have a definitive answer.
A report from Psychology Today combining over two decades of research found that violence in video games does not lead to higher levels of violence in real life.
This may come as a surprise to anyone who has followed this question closely, as multiple studies using numerous methods have concluded otherwise. This cumulative study, however, explains that other factors in these tests led to the higher rates of violence that were observed.
The majority of studies conducted center around the same basic formula, where one set of participants plays a violent video game while another set plays a non-violent video game. Then both sets of participants are given an activity meant to measure their levels of aggression.
Dozens of these studies have returned results that link violent video games to higher levels of aggression and violence in real life. This has led the American Psychology Association (APA) to conclude that “violent video game use has an effect on…. Aggressive behavior, cognitions, and affect.”
This endorsement from the APA was thought to have settled the argument, leading public figures to feel comfortable blaming violence in video games for the increasing violence across the country — especially when it comes to mass shootings.
The report from Psychology Today, however, argues that there was a major flaw in each of these studies which led to a misattributed link between violent video games and aggression. Beyond non-violent video games being void of violence, they also tend to be easier, leading to a less competitive and less frustrating experience.
The new report argues that the competitive and frustrating nature of violent games is the root of the increased aggression that was observed rather than the violence itself.
To test this new hypothesis, a new set of studies presented one group of players with a non-violent video game that was simple to play while another set of players was presented with a non-violent video game that was much harder to interact with. Lo and behold, the group that played the more frustrating game showed higher levels of aggression on a test afterward.
To further illustrate their point, these researchers conducted a second study where they had one group of players engage with a violent first-person shooter game, while another group played a similar first-person shooter game, however, this one was poised as a paintball game, and thus there was no blood or gore. A subsequent test found no difference in aggression between the two groups, further suggesting violence was never the issue.
While this new data may rewrite our understanding of violent video games and their effect on real life, it does not give children free rein to play whatever video games they want. In the same way that young children should not watch violent movies even when they share an important message, they should not engage in violent video games until they reach an appropriate age.
Furthermore, Movieguide® advises everyone, both children and adults, from engaging in violence for the sake of it. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches that “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.”
Thus, while engaging in violent video games may not lead to aggression in real life, they should still be avoided unless they serve a greater purpose than just being violent.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Advancements in technology have led to ever-improving video game graphics, and as visuals have become more real, the debate about video game violence has been renewed.
The video game “Dead Island 2,” released in April, marked a new step in video game graphics with its Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids (FLESH) system. The FLESH system causes a player’s model to accrue trauma in a realistic way rather than apply the damage effect to a model in the same way, regardless of the attack performed.
The new system shows more gruesome scenes as incidents such as players burning or animal attacks create highly realistic, highly detailed visuals.
While the use of the system in “Dead Island 2” is performed in a cartoonish art style, the implementation of FLESH in a fully realistic game has the potential to cause immense damage to players.
While the current industry standard graphics are impressive, they still lack some level of realism. Even at a glance, adults can distinguish between real life and the fantasy of a video game. This is why some players can stomach incredible violence in their games that they could not bear in real life.
