ABSTRACT
One frequently hypothesized cause of contemporary violence is the enormous impact that mass media sources have on individuals, particularly on children. Violent video games have become increasingly popular toys with children, both in the home and in video arcades. The chapter suggests that males may be more vulnerable than females to the impact of playing violent video games. Both C. A. Anderson's and Dill's studies found the relationship between video games and aggression, both in the short term and in real life, was stronger for males than for females. Two types of studies have been conducted: (a) correlational studies and (b) experimental studies. A correlational study addresses the question of whether behavior becomes more violent as a child watches more violent television. An experimental study is one in which the researcher controls one factor while measuring changes in a second factor.
