A researcher at England's University of Essex says that there is little evidence to suggest that video games are harmful. Patrick Kierkegaard, writing in the current International Journal of Liability and Scientific Enquiry, adds that, in his view, games do not lead to aggression.
He also suggests that previous studies linking games and aggression are biased.
As reported by Science Daily:
Kierkegaard explains... there is no obvious link between real-world violence statistics and the advent of video games. If anything, the effect seems to be the exact opposite and one might argue that video game usage has reduced real violence.
As others have done, Kierkegaard cites declines in US juvenile crime at the same time that video game sales are increasing:
Violent crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically since the early 1990s. With millions of sales of violent games, the world should be seeing an epidemic of violence. Instead, violence has declined.
Kierkegaard said that the inherent bias found in many studies indicates a need for more details research on video games and their effects on youthful players.
Comments
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Did you also see how they noted that parental involvement nagated most of that?
-GRIZZAM PRIME(c)is property of the U.S. Marine Corp. Wetworks Dept., and also The Incredible Hulk-GRIZZAM PRIME is not to be associated with GRIZZAM 512 or any other GRIZZAM entity under penalty of law, so sayith ZARATHOS.
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Hey, while Eisen explains why your wrong about the APA study, and while we are on the subject of APA studies and the concept of proving a link between media and violence you may want to take a look at this:
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2007/02/27/new-research-sees-correlation-bet...
Short version, instead of using video games they used the holy bible! and the results shown an "increase in aggression" for those who read violent passages as well as passages that say God condoned the violence...
"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."
And it seems that one of the researchers was Dr.Bushman, the same psychologist from the APA study you constantly misquote. Essentially, the study says that books, including the holy bible, can yield similar results as those that the APA study shows for video games...
Frankly, when it comes to media resulting in making people violent, i do not say EITHER study proves such a thing... These are correlation studies, not causation; very big difference... not to mention there is a very strong difference between aggressive thoughts and translating that into real world violence anyway. For instance, if a person gets mad/frustrated at something, or if they start getting highly competitive, i'm sure those would result in "aggressive thoughts" but NOT become violent because those are normal human emotions...
Though i guess if you back up the APA study so much and use that as "Proof" agianst video games, then i guess you except that books including the holy bible can also have a casual link to teenage aggression
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
John Murray is a Kansas State University professor, not Harvard.
His big brain scan study was done in collaboration with the Mind Science Foundation and at the University of Texas Sciences Center, not Harvard.
The study itself had 8 kids (ages 8 to 13) watch less than 10 minutes of either National Geographic or Rocky IV. The study concluded that violence is arousing and engaging to the brain. Said Murray:
“In the results of our initial, and very limited study, of children's brain activations while viewing entertainment video violence, suggest that the violence is arousing, engaging and is treated by the brain as a real event that is threatening and worthy of being stored for long-term memory in an area of the brain that makes 'recall' of the events almost instantaneous.
This is as 'scary' as it gets; even more than an "R" rated slasher film. Here, we see normal children storing away violent images in a manner that could be used to 'guide' future behavior. Naturally, this is only the beginning of the story and we need to conduct much more extensive research on neuroimaging and violence, but we have identified the reasons why parents and politicians, people of all political persuasions, should take action to reduce media violence.”
So, unless you’re referring to a different study or a different John Murray, you’re still citing studies that do precious little to support your position.
Andrew Eisen
Edit: Links removed. Spam filter doesn't like them.
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Storing away violent images sounds like a good thing to me. It could be handy should a person ever be in a dangerous situation. Seriously, none of that sounds bad or "scary" as this researcher claims. That all depends on what a person does with his or her knowledge. Broad generalizations and a failure to cite a positive application.
-GRIZZAM PRIME(c)is property of the U.S. Marine Corp. Wetworks Dept., and also The Incredible Hulk-GRIZZAM PRIME is not to be associated with GRIZZAM 512 or any other GRIZZAM entity under penalty of law, so sayith ZARATHOS.
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Doesn't Jack ever tire of being wrong? On the simplest of points? Like with what univeristy John Murray is associated? If he can't get the plain and simple facts straight, then what hope has he on the more complex facts like the meaning of the results of Murray's neurological study? Hopeless.
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Thanks for the hint. I'll look up John Murray and his Harvard brain scan study later.
In the meantime, of course I can find the APA resolution. I can also read it. What's more is I can understand it and it does not say there is a causal link between teen agression and violent game play.
Buy hey, don't take my word for it.
Yale University's Dr. Dorothy Singer, who co-chaired the study committee, told GP via e-mail that claims of the APA finding a "direct causal link" between games and actual violence are "...wrong and misinterpreting the statement... nowhere do we make such a claim in the resolution, nor does APA... Our studies cited were correlational... there is a difference."
Dr. Elizabeth Carll (left), who chairs the organization's Interactive Media Committee added in an e-mail to GP yesterday, "There was no reference to direct causal link in the APA Resolution on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media. I scrolled through my email and saw Dorothy Singer's response as well and we are in agreement."
Andrew Eisen
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
care to comment? Or do you have the minerals to do so?
Re: Nice try. All the Harvard,
Mr. Thompson, those studies
Nice try asshole. The
Nice try asshole. The FBI's stats on crime still prove youth crime is down. Brain scans aren't crime stats.
Oh, and don't forget that the Flat Earth Society was founded on Christian beliefs. Those are YOUR people.
You do realize the Flat
Of course.
Obviously games do not manufacture killers. People with unstable mental states lose contact with reality. They begin to have irrational behavior and unorganized thought processes. Because these people don't experience reality in the same way as other people they begin to withdrawal from social norms and often seek out a way to enact their fantasies or find a place where their irrational thoughts become rational. So it would not be hard to believe a crazy person with the ability to kill to enact killing people in a game or even watch a movie with lots of killing.
However these people experience the game differently. Instead of realizing the game is fiction and doesn't exist due to their experiencing reality in a distorted way, may find the game realistic and enjoy their actions in a way a normal person will not.
Bottom Line: Games do not cause people to kill other people. People who kill other people look for media in which their psychosis is norm.
Forgot to say: One
Forgot to say: One of the reasons games is often blamed in situations where a person snapes and kills people is because they are normal. They dont have the ability to comprehend the actions of the killer. This is because the killer was mentally disturbed where as normal people are not. So because they can't comprehend why somebody would do these things they look for a way to explain it.
However, unfortunatly it seems that they don't use much rational themselves while picking their scapegoat. For now it works, the older generations dont understand video games and are therefore easy to convince. But what are people going to blame when the video game generation takes control of the country?
Not to often i comment......but
Sadly, as good as this report is, it'll fall onto deaf ears to the ones that really need to read this. For us this report is stating what we already knew. But if a debate ever came up with JT or Leland this would make great matierial as it flies in their face of what they are constantly attacking.
@Mirrikat45
Kinda makes you wonder if(or what) our generation will scapegoat, the whole video games are bad thing will get blown over when our generation fully takes control, but what pop culture media form will we put on the spot. Almost every generation has done it to something, or will the combination of realization and the internet(or mass communication in general) be enough for us to look at the facts before pointing fingers.
Not sure
La la la la
Can I feel smug and be arrogant for awhile now? Maybe I should even take credit for this study. Hmmmm....
Nah, I'll behave.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Nightwng2000 has also updated his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/nightwing2000 Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Jack has his ears plugged
Jack has his ears plugged with his fingers and is singing "Yankee Doodle" as loud as he can at this time.
Therefore he will be completely oblivious to this research in the future. That is all.
Leland Yee would not listen
No duh
Woot!
Finally!
Violent crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically since the early 1990s. With millions of sales of violent games, the world should be seeing an epidemic of violence. Instead, violence has declined.
More ammunition for use. Of course this won't shut certain people up...
Since when are facts