February 27, 2007 -
In what is likely to be a controversial finding, a team of researchers reports a correlation between violent sciptural passages and real-life aggression.The research, which may have implications in the ongoing debate over the effects of video game violence, was conducted in part at Utah's Brigham Young University. As reported by the Deseret News:
a study of 490 students — 248 of them at Brigham Young University — suggests a correlation between exposure to scriptural violence that is condoned by God and increased aggression.
University of Michigan psychologist Brad Bushman, BYU professor Robert Ridge and three other researchers co-wrote "When God Sanctions Killing," which will appear in the March issue of Psychological Science magazine.
Ridge was careful to point out that the study was not meant as an attack on biblical writings:
We were not saying that reading the scriptures is bad, but we were pointing out that if a person was seeing that kind of (violent) literature, it could have some negative effects... when you think about terrorists and they say, 'God will sit in judgment,' and they sometimes refer to a scripture, our question was, 'Could that really make a person behave more aggressively?' And the answer is, yes, it could.
In the study, student volunteers were shown bible passages containing references to violent acts such as rape, beatings and murder. Half of the survey group were then shown an additional passage indicating that God sanctioned violent retribution. Those who were given this additional information responded with increased aggression in a subsequent measurement.
The Deseret News reports that the researchers believe their findings are consistent with other studies which show correlation between aggression and violent movies, music and video games. On this point, Ridge said:
We're not saying that just in and of itself violent media is uniformly bad but oftentimes there is no redeeming context to it... But if a person dives into (a violent passage) without the context, you could probably get some increased aggression.
Among the researchers involved in the scriptural violence study, Dr. Bushman has prior background with research on aggression and violent video games. In 2005 he was a member of the American Psychological Association's Committee on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media. That group issued an oft-cited report linking violent games to increased aggression.
Comments
Re: New Research Sees Correlation Between Violent Bible
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AirGreat politician will now think they have a study that allows them to censor ANY violent material or nay material that they deem violent (Any material they don't like). Screw the religious implications. A study like this has an affect on all media in the minds of politicians.
Damnit, I did not need this on a Tuesday.
"If you accept A then you must accept B"
Its nice to have bogus studies to throw back at other bogus studies. Glorious.
I'm not religious, but I went to a Catholic College that made you take two theology credits. It was approached as philosophy and kind of interesting. My learning included the understanding of how scripture is wrongly considered a plan rather than a history or allegory. The other thing is that violence that God condones in those books are one-time-as-necessary events. Mostly God decides, not people.
I guess my point is that if people take biblical violence as an "OK" to enact their own violent behavior, that just means they're rationalizing their own twisted view of reality, and any book, movie, or game would probably serve just as well.
We as a species ar fundametally violent, adults and children included.
This is not per definition a "bad" thing, it helped us to survive and evolve for thousands of years.
The trick is that most people (and children) can control or learn to control their violent urges.
So we all have violent impulses, but mostly we don't act upon them.
In short, in response to the suggestion that his books weren't suitable for children, Twain responded with something along the lines of "I appreciate that you have brought this to my attention. My books are not intended for children, and in fact I don't believe children should read at all. I believe I was scarred for life as a child when my parents forced me to read the Bible every night."
That's a very inelegant paraphrase, but I think I've at least got the idea right.
If religious scriptures are seen as authoritative, and people believe in them to be an example of how to act, that could be the link between behavior and input.
Video Games however, are not seen as authoritative, divine or examples of good behavior. Games are seen more as a diversion, as fun, as a job, as a supplement... not as divinely inspired authoritative text.
I think that's the key issue and differentiation between video games and scripture.
...
true, but what we can do is use this research as a counter to the violent game research... essentionally, anyone who chooses to embrace the video game studies can have these studies shoved down their throat, but those who choose not to disregard such studies can ignore both. bascially its a situation where we point out that if you say A is true then you MUST also except B is true by extention... B can not be excepted without A.
For the sake of discussion, the way we can use such studies is like:
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Anti-game critic- well the so-and-so studies prove games are harmful
Gamers- well, putting aside the value of such studies, similar studies studies show that the bible has the same effect on peopel and is therefore just as bad
Anti-game- err... i... those studies are no good
Gamers- But these studies are done the same way as the studies you quoted, if the bible study is no good then the video game study is no good by extention...
Anti-gamer-.... i err... that is...umm..
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Bascially, the anti game critics are forced into a situation where they must either say the video game studies are flawed (atleast don't prove what the anti0gamer claims), or that the bible is has similar violent effects on poeple as video games... ofcourse they will probably end up going with option 3, which is to make up a lot of BS, to make the distinction that completly ignores all facts... however, the plus side is that when it comes to courts, judges do not listen to the BS and will except one of the two first options as the truth; more then like the first option where both studies are flawed/not proof of anything serious worth breaking free speech over
Anyway, another psuedo study, but as Monte mentioned, one that directly parallels video game, movie, violent media studies. To almost a letter, if I infer from the article linked correctly.
You know the ones are misused by pollies, NIMF, etc. And the one horribly abused and contorted by Thompson's ilk.
Any way pseudo-science is pseudo-science. Bleech.
Any links to the study itself, Dennis, anyone?
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
i mean, if you consider that the crusades where one of the most violent bible related massacres ever...
A certain anti-game activist has said that his favourite story is that of David and Goliath (in which a man is murdered by having his skull cracked). Now there is evidence to suggest that his favourite story has the exact same effect as what he despises? Mmmm, that's some delicious irony.
I wonder how the Bible would look with a nice big ESRB rating sticker on it's cover. The back would covered with those warning symbols! New ones might have to be invented in some cases.
But that's just me.
These studies have no control group to compare to...
it's more of a reaction time test than an agression test. I's competetive too.
I think the "agression" scores would even start to go up if you just let the test subjects play the "sound blast" game a few times in a row.
Gee, that sounds awfully familiar. Another thing I found interesting is that most of the participants are college students that have at least some belief in God. That just proves to me this study is no different from the video game ones we tear into and the ones at which we get mad at when politicians use them to justify unconstitutional legislation.
Why do I get the feeling this was test was done to prove a point, and it's doing so very well.
Now, I do think that violence potrayed in the Bible is just as bad as anything you might find in a violent video game. However, we should not stoop to the level of anti-game politicians and embrace this study as anything definitive or conclusive.
-thebaby
Some portions of this article sounds interesting. May be you have some links where I could read more about this topic?...
Thing is, as stated earlier, Linden Labs make their own controversy, it certainly served them well financially.
oh yes, because gamers are just braindead kids who play games all day and do nothing else; no life what-so-ever beyond games. They don't have relgious beliefs or political opinions, or ever keep up to date with the world around them like normal poeple do. When a gamer talks about anything like religion, theology, of politics, they MUST be speaking complete and ignorant BS =/
@Brokenscope
What distinction is there to make? The study isn't just refering to books in generally, the study is specifically talking about the bible. If the study was on books in general, then ya, politicans could make a distinction between books and the bible, but the study is for the bible... in no way could they bring up this study and not mention the bible
heh, technically, since a big part of the study is that it's not just about the violence in the bible, but the concept that God condones the violence, it could sooner be switch in the opposite direction, trying to censoring the bible, without touching any other books.
How many politicians with an agenda would make that distinction.
Oh yes, of course, that's a Dictatorship when you do that....
To AnonAmbientLight,
Religions does have negative influences on crazy people (Fundies and terrorists) and good influence on peaceful people. It depends on how you use the Bible, and of course it has it's both good and bad verses.
Defensive? Thin skinned? Hmmm, well, last I checked, I was an atheist with the name of a demon tattooed quite visibly on my arm in 4cm tall letters. As such, I'm not quite sure what I have to be "defensive" about. But thanks for playing at any rate. I'm sure the troll attempt of saying the LDS isn't a "REAL" religion will make Jack Thompson smile smugly while you prove his point that we're all hateful sociopaths...
"This is, in fact, not an actual passage from the Bible, but a collage of several passages. Ezekiel 25:17 in the King James Version reads:
And I will execute great vengeance upon thee with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them"
You're right though, the whole quote is from a Sonny Chiba movie.
I cant believe it took people this long to figure it out. Add to the hundreds of dollars they must have spent to be able to do this, when all they had to do was just look at the news.....
X_X.