St.

Theresa’s School of Novaliches

Behavioral Impact of Violent Video Games

to the Grade 5 Students of San Agustin Elementary School

for the S.Y. 2017-2018

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in Practical Research

Submitted by:

Cagara, Louise Andrea P.

Dela Cruz, Cielo A.

Dela Cruz, Melissa V.

Enrico, Darlyn Joyce L.

Jambaro, Abigail O.

Roman, Mecaela M.

Singh, Harjet Kour A.

Matos, Raymar M.

Rebadulla, Charl’s Michael I.

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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The 21st generation of our time rise in the use of internet that leads us to a new

way of living in our daily life. In particular, this rise has also led to the rise of online

gaming and violent movie productions. Although video games emerged in the 1970s,

it wasn't until the 1990s that extremely violent games came of age. A few researchers

began exploring potential harmful effects in the 1980s, but it was the rash of school

shootings that began in the late 1990s that attracted the attention of the general public.

In this kind of case we can also think about the latest school shooting. A 15-year-old

student opened fire at a private school in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey on

Wednesday January 17 2017, shooting a teacher and two other students in the head

before killing himself. Online gaming can refer to any type of game that someone can

play through the internet or over a computer network. Most of the time, online

gaming refers to the video games played over the internet, where multiple players are

in different locations around the world. In most cases, online games are freeware

programs that can be used for an unlimited time and are available for free.

Having an online gaming experience typically requires a high-speed internet

connection. Proper hardware will also be required whether it’s a computer or a

gaming console, such as Xbox or Play station that’s connected to the internet. Some

online games require a specific piece of controlling hardware such as a joystick or a

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game controller, but these days, gaming technology has progressed to an amazing

extent. Things like streaming 3-D animation graphics with superb surround sound

stereo now have the ability to make all addicted to gaming. In terms of video games,

online gaming is growing in popularity for variety of reasons. Gamers can easily find

opponents of a similar skill level when playing a head-to-head game over the internet.

Today, one can see the impact of computer and video games in politics, television,

popular music and Hollywood. A lot of research is conducted to study its effect on

lifestyle and behaviour of the wow power leveling gamer especially kids.

Violent video games recent research has shown that connections between

children playing violent video games can cause later aggressive behavioral problems.

In retrospect studies have also shown a twelve percent increase in aggressive behavior

after watching violent television as well. Some parents and psychologists have said

that there are children who benefit from the proficiency and coordination of playing

video games while others disagree. Critics of video games claim that watching

violent television is less detrimental due to the children not physically playing out the

violence. Research has also shown heavy viewers, which is four or more hours a day,

put in less effort at school, have poorer reading skills, play less friendly with friends,

have fewer hobbies and activities, and are more likely to be overweight.
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Background of the Study

Video games are the most popular entertainments in modern societies.

Students involving in playing video games are everywhere. The addiction to the

rivalry and excitements of the games make them the most common recreational

programs for today's youth, so that they do anything to reach a higher level of the

game, they are too engage in the game that tends them to be completely separate from

their surroundings. Doing challenges with the obstacles and reaching a higher level in

the game make the players excited and losing the game make them anxious.

Video games are widely spread in the society because of the numbers of

thrilling and exciting games. There are lots of improvements with its graphics and

quality. Playing video games is somehow the same to watching television that can be

used for learning visually. By the fact that these games are more active compared to

watching television, they are considered more effective. Since these games are known

as the second entertainment after television, the possibility that the gamers will adopt

the negative effects is high because of the content. Opponents of these games

showing their negative effects such as stimulating anger and violence which are much

higher than the positive effects of the games.

Playing video games can sometimes be useful, but long-term playing leads to

some negative effects. By consistently watching the violent actions of the characters

in the video games, students might adopt it or worst, do it against others. Students

spend most of their time on video games as soon as they understand and familiarize
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with them, while these games cannot create any emotional and human relationship.

These games can affect them mentally, physically, and socially. Sometimes, it leads

to different problems. It can cause mental damages, social isolation, and even

committing violence.

The popularity of video games among students has made the researchers to

conduct a study. Considering the increasing rate of students committing violence, this

study was conducted to investigate the effects of violent video games to the behavior

of Grade 5 Students particularly in San Agustin Elementary School.

Theoretical Framework

Cultivation Theory

Research concerning cultivation theory has primarily focused on television and

other medias’ effects on society, suggesting that “media consumption ‘cultivates’ in

us a distorted perception of the world we live in, making it seem more like television

portrays it, than it is in real life’” (quoted in Ivy & Backlund, 2008, p. 99). Telivision

has been found so universally appealing and influential because of “[i]ts drama,

commercials, news, and other programs bring a relatively coherent system of

messages into every home….Transcending historic barriers of literacy and mobility,

television has become the primary source of socialization and everyday information

(mostly in the form of entertainment) of otherwise heterogeneous populations”

(quoted in Williams, 2006, p. 70).

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With the prevalence of media today, research has sought to discover if the

violence depicted in media affects violence in reality. While previous research has

mostly focused on television portrayals of violence, “worried that all-too-receptive

young viewers will imitate aggression on the screen” (Griffin, 2009, p. 349), the onset

of video games and their widespread depiction of violence has also brought about

concerns. One of the challenges of studying cultivation theory in regards to video

games (and in general) is the wide variety of content and the generalizability of

research findings (Williams, 2006). Williams’ (2006) study states, “The online

database www.allgame.com lists descriptions of 35,400 different games across 93

different game machines plus computers. To collapse this wide variety of content and

context into a variable labeled ‘game play’ is the equivalent of assuming that all

television, radio, or motion picture use is the same” (p. 70). One particular difference

between television viewing and video gaming is the level of involvement and activity;

video games are sites of social interaction both face to face and online, and game

content is often driven as much by the game design as by player interaction (whether

the play is interacting within the game world, or with other players in and out of the

game world) (Williams, 2006).

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Incidental Social
TV
Information Reality
Viewing (Learning) (Construction)

Capacity, Inference skills,

focusing, social structures,

strategies, other

attention, experiences

involvement

Figure 1. Cultivation Theory conceptual model.

Scope and Limitations

The study was mainly concerned and limited only with the behavioral impact of

violent video games among Grade 5 Students of San Agustin Elementary School from

Sections 1 to 5 with an extimated population of 250 respondents for the School Year

2017-2018.
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Research Paradigm of the Study

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Demographic
Profile of the Determine the
Grade 5 Students impacts of video
A survey among
the Grade 5 games and conduct

Students of San a seminar for the

 Impacts of Video Grade 5 Students of
Agustin Elementary
Games to the San Agustin
School
Grade 5 Students Elementary School
of San Agustin
Elementary
School

FEEDBACK

Figure 2. Paradigm of the study.

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The Research Paradigm of the Study is a structure that interprets the overview

of this study.

Input. This stage shows the essential bases used by the researchers to

accomplish their objective. The study revolves around the Grade 5 Students of San

Agustin Elementary School. The researchers have to know what are the possible

impacts of violent video games to their behaviour.

Process. The instrument used in order to obtain information, questionnaires

were given to those people who were the main component of this research. This

instrument is the survey forms filled with several questions.

Output. This study expected to determine the behavioural impacts of video

games to the Grade 5 Students in San Agustin Elementary School. Considering the

possibility that violent video games are the reasons of the students committing

violence, the researchers recommend the students as well as their parents to attend a

seminar for them to know more about video games.

Statement of the Problem

1. What is the demographic profile of a respondent in terms of:

1.1 section;

1.2 age;
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1.3 gender;

1.4 length of time a respondent spend in playing video games.

2. How do violent video games affect the behavior of Grade 5 Students?

3. What is the level of students’ engagement in playing video games?

4. What solutions may be proposed by the respondents in order to limit the effects

of violent video games to the Grade 5 students in San Agustin Elementary

School?

Significance of the Study

This study will be valuable and significant to students, parents, teachers, school

administration, and future researchers.

Students. The benefit of this study to students is they will know the pros and

cons of violent video games and how it affects their behaviour. The study will bring

awareness to them and will encourage them to avoid playing violent games.

Parents. The result of the study can help parents to be more aware in order to

limit their children in playing video games that may cause them to commit violence.

The study will give parents more information about how violent video games may

affect the behaviour of their children.

Teachers. The findings can help teachers to know about the effects of violent

video games to the behaviour of students so they can make a solution and warning to

student in avoiding violent games and movies.

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School Administration. The result of the study can provide a new knowledge

to administration to know the effects of violent video games to the students so that

they can provide an effective technique or solution to the students to get rid or avoid

playing violent games

Future Researchers. The result of this study will help them to conduct more

information about the impacts of violent video games and movies to the behaviour of

Grade 5 students.

Definition of Terms

For clearer understanding of the study, the following terms were defined:

Aggression. A forceful action or procedure (such as an unprovoked attack)

especially when intended to dominate or master.

Behavior. Anything that an organism does involving action and response to

stimulation.

Cultivation. The act or art of cultivating or tilling.

Entertainment. The act of entertaining.

Online Games. A video game which is or can be played over a computer

network (now usually the Internet); (later) especially one enabling two or more

players to participate simultaneously from different locations.

Streaming.  The act, the process, or an instance of streaming data or of

accessing data that is being streamed.