Aggression: the effects of violent video games

Violence in videogames is a topic that is often heard in today’s news. Parents worry that their kids will emulate the violent imagery they see in games. Critics worry that parents aren’t being cautious enough when it comes to screening the games their children play. Videogames can be made into a scapegoat for crimes committed by teens, with games like the Grand Theft Auto series taking heavy fire in the past decade.

Some people assume that playing these games will directly translate into a more violent and vicious child, that is simply trying to act out the images they saw on the screen in real life. When the Virginia Tech school shooting occurred, former attorney Jack Thompson declared that Seung-Hui Cho was an avid gamer who was obsessed with the first-person shooter Counter-Strike. In reality, there was no evidence that Cho played videogames at all. You can read more about Thompson’s false claim here:

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2007/04/msnbc_dont_blam/

Since this is a blog, I can voice my personal opinion on the subject. I think that parents need to take more responsibility in what their children are playing, instead of mindlessly buying whatever their kids ask for. It’s definitely true that a lot of videogames have very graphic depictions of violence which kids should not be exposed to. But the ESRB games rating system exists for exactly this reason, so parents should know better than to buy an M-rated game for their child.

But studies have shown that violent videogames can increase levels of aggression in players. A recent study from July 2009 added an interesting angle to the study of the effects of violent videogames. The study by Peter Fischer, Andreas Kastenmuller, and Tobias Greitemeyer, entitled “Media violence and the self: The impact of personalized gaming characters in aggressive video games on aggressive behavior,” examined what happens when players have a personal connection to the characters performing violent acts.

Fischer et al. wanted to see what happened to levels of aggression when players could create and customize their character before sending them into a fight. They discussed the General Aggression Model, or GAM, as the explanation for aggressive behavior that results from personal and situational variables. As Fischer et al. put it, “videogames show their recipients what aggression is (learning), how it is performed (imitation; modeling), and trigger pre-existing cognitive knowledge structures, emotional associations, and behavioral scripts about aggression (priming).”

A group of 75 participants was put into one of four different test groups. The subject played 25 minutes of either Wii Bowling or Wii Boxing, both part of the Wii Sports game on the Nintendo Wii. The second variable came from the amount of customization they had over their character. In these games, players may create a “Mii” which can be modified in almost every facial feature to resemble the player. It was hypothesized that those who were playing the more aggressive game, Boxing, with their own personal Mii, would display higher levels of aggression due to the connection they felt to the character participating in the aggressive act.

In short, Fischer et al.’s hypothesis was confirmed. After playing, participants were asked to provide an amount of hot sauce to be given to a made-up subject of the same test. This was the measure of aggression, as they were told that the hot sauce was deemed too hot and were asked to try it themselves. It was found that players who had a custom Mii in Wii Boxing gave more than double the amount of hot sauce than those who were playing Wii Bowling, whether the bowlers had custom Miis or not.

More and more games have a customization feature. It started off in The Sims and Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, and has branched out to nearly every genre. It’s fascinating to see that the customization of one’s avatar/character really does have an effect on the player. As Fischer et al. hypothesized, “this innovation could amplify the psychological effects of videogames.” We feel a connection to the character on screen, and we develop a mental link to their emotions, which are a result of our actions as we play the game. This discovery could mean a lot for the immersive elements of gaming, just as health had an effect on how involved you become while playing.