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Game Violence and Aggression

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Game Violence and Aggression

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websitegoer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Game Violence &

Aggression
Dr. Nicholas L. Matthews
Overview – the Authors

• Brad Bushman, Ph.D.


• Professor
• Rinehart Chair of Mass
Communication
• The Ohio State University
• Studies causes, consequences,
and solutions to human aggression
and violence

2
Overview – the Authors

• Christopher Ferguson, Ph.D.


• Professor
• Psychology
• Stetson University
• Studies media violence with a
focus on video games

3
Overview – the lecture

• What is violence?
• What is aggression?
• Media violence & aggression
• Are video games unique?

4
What is
Violence?
What is Violence?

• Hard to define
• Typically, “…any overt depiction of a credible
threat of physical force or the actual use of such
force intended to physically harm an animate
being or group of beings”

6
What is Violence?

• Disagreement on if relational violence counts as


violence

7
What is Violence?

• Disagreement on if damage to non-humans or


inanimate objects counts as violence

8
What is Violence?

• Disagreement on if unseen violence &


attempted violence counts as violence

9
What is Violence?

• Disagreement on if natural disasters/accidents


counts as violence

10
Violence is Common

• Regardless, violence is common in video games


• Gun violence and war simulation are commonly
among best sellers

11
What is
Aggression?
What is Aggression?

• Delivery of an aversive stimulus with an intent or


expectation to harm
• Sometimes this is paired with the idea that the
other person is motivated to escape

13
Aggression is natural

• Aggression is innate, functional, and mostly


stable across the life course
• Peaks at age 2-4, then stabilizes
• Play fighting, pretend aggression are common and
considered a normal part of development
• Hostile aggression is also common and normal in
younger children
• But consequences of aggression increase over time

14
Self-regulation and aggression

• We know that people are naturally aggressive


• Social norms and cognitive development help
people inhibit the impulse to act aggressively
• Thus, disinhibition is the key concern
• Diminished executive functioning
• Personal standards about necessity/acceptability
• Cultural norms

15
Media Violence
& Aggression
Media and disinhibition

• Media can disinhibit people’s tendency to


aggress by…
• Altering perceptions of cultural norms
• Altering personal standards about
necessity/acceptability

17
Social Learning Theory

• People can learn how to behave by observing


and imitating others
• Amplified by vicarious reinforcement
• People tend to imitate rewarded behaviors
• People tend to avoid punished behaviors
• Many video games reward violence
• Awarded for skillful execution
• Awarded for dominance
• The reward is direct rather than vicarious
• Pacifism and benevolence is rewarded less often

18
Social Learning Theory

• Games (just like most other media) demonstrate


that violence is a common and acceptable
solution to problems

19
The Law of Emotional Desensitization

• Repetition gradually diminishes people’s


emotional reaction to stimuli

20
The Law of Emotional Desensitization

• Repetition gradually diminishes people’s


emotional reaction to stimuli

21
Are Video Games
Unique?
Are games unique?

• Games are interactive


• The player instigates the violence
• Violence is realistic
• The player is rewarded (it is not vicarious)
• Interactivity is cognitively demanding
• Gamers may simplify actions to mere goal pursuit
• Games have things that other media do not
• Competition/cooperation
• Frustration

23
Aggression ≠ criminal behavior

• Evidence suggests the violent games increase


aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• The effect is small to moderate
• The effect is equivalent or slightly greater than less
interactive media
• The effect is consistent
• But science cannot determine if this translates to
increased violent criminal behavior

24
Game Violence &
Aggression
Dr. Nicholas L. Matthews

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