ABSTRACT
Violent video games have become increasingly popular toys with children, both in the home and in video arcades. One result of this surge of popularity has been a heightened level of concern about the possible impact of playing such games. Several different sources have suggested that violent video games might cause aggressive or violent behavior in people who play them (Irwin & Gross, 1995; Larkin, 2000; Scott, 1995). The methodology of studies coming to this conclusion varies somewhat. One study asked college students how often they played violent video games, and linked more videogame-playing to a higher level of aggressive behavior and lower academic performance (Larkin, 2000). A second study had college students play either a violent or a nonviolent video game and subsequently “punish” their opponent by exposing them to a loud unpleasant noise; the students who played the violent video games used the noise against their opponents longer than did the other students (Larkin, 2000). Another study on school-aged boys found that children who played video games in a laboratory setting played more aggressively, both when frustrated and when not frustrated, than
controls (Irwin & Gross, 1995). Although these studies are typical of many similar pieces of research, not all such studies have found a positive relationship. Scott’s (1995) research found the opposite: he attempted to associate aggressive feelings with violent video games, and found no significant relationship. Other studies found this lack of an association as well (see Scott’s 1995 review).
