Study: Violent Games Cause Violent Behavior

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A new study from Iowa State University suggests that playing violent video games leads to more aggressive behavior in children, CNN reports.

While the effect of violent video games has been an oft-debated subject--some argue that violent games merely draw the attention of those prone to violent behavior--the study found that players were more aggressive than before the research began.

Furthermore, the more they played violent games, the more aggressive the players were in real life. Meanwhile, those that had less exposure to violent games did not see as much of a growth in aggressive behavior.

The study is "pretty good evidence" that violent games lead to violent behavior, commented University of Michigan research director Dr. L. Rowell Huesman.

The research was conduced across three groups: 181 Japanese students ages 12 to 15, 1,050 Japanese students aged 13 to 18, and 364 US kids ages 9 to 12. The Japanese children rated their own aggressive behavior, as did the US group, though additional data on the US group came from peers and teachers.

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    November 3, 2008 8:25 AM

    I think all this proves is that a lot of Japanese people are ****ed up.

    Tentacle hentai. Need I say more?

    • reply
      November 3, 2008 8:34 AM

      Half of the subject pool were US kids.

      • reply
        November 3, 2008 8:34 AM

        Half About 400, which is a nonetheless sizable N.

      • reply
        November 3, 2008 8:37 AM

        orite.

        Still, I don't know. These kinds of "tests" are incredibly simplistic and fall very short of providing any kind of definitive answer.

        My thoughts are it's just more anti-_______ propaganda from crazies trying to push their agendas.


        How about religion?
        Religion is probably one of the MOST violence causing agents in the history of mankind itself.

        I guess that means we should ban all religion too?

      • reply
        November 3, 2008 8:44 AM

        Who's the control group? Kids who don't play video games? (God help us if someone thinks that's a representative sample of American kids.) Kids who play E titles exclusively? I'm curious what the peer review for this study looks like.

      • reply
        November 3, 2008 8:52 AM

        181 Japanese kids + 1050 Japanese kids = 1231 Japanese kids
        vs
        364 American kids

        Not what I'd call half.

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