Posted in 
Michael Jackson
Sign In >>
Cyndi Sarnoff-Ross is a licensed psychotherapist with almost twenty years of clinical experience in the fields of clinical psychology and organizational management. She has worked extensively with a wide variety of…
FAST FACTS
Advertisement
Are Video Games Linked to Aggressive Behaviors?
There is a tremendous amount of allure to video games. Adults and kids alike can become obsessed with the world of gaming. There has always been a general belief that a correlation exists between gaming and aggression.
Many studies have been done that reveal the connection between watching violent images and a tendency towards aggressive behavior. It is safe to say that there is at least a loose association. But gaming takes players to a whole new level and requires very specific skills. It is not a passive activity such as simply viewing a video or film.
There are 2 different camps when it comes to this notion. One side firmly believes that the skills required to be an effective gamer are highly developed and useful in the real world. These are skills such as cooperation, understanding complex concepts, and becoming aware of cause and effect relationships. The other side maintains the belief that these games teach violent behavior, which is then transferred to the world outside of gaming.
Ulrika Bennerstedt, Jonas Ivarsson, Ph.D., and Jonas Linderoth recently published the results of a study on this matter in the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.They determined that gamers who were most successful at the process were able to cooperate and had knowledge of complex, highly technical strategies. The gamers, who acted badly within the game by being overly emotional or inconsiderate, didn’t do well.
As a therapist, it is my belief that the effect violent gaming has is somewhat dependent upon the recipient of that stimulus. Kids, who are more prone to aggression, tend to act out after interacting aggressively even if it is only on the computer. Some will come away from the games with the skills these researchers mentioned. All, I suspect, will be affected in one way or another.
What have your experiences been with gaming, either as it pertains to your children, your spouse, or yourself? Do you feel pumped up after battling it out in cyberspace or have you noticed a change of behavior in your loved ones when they do so. It would be interesting to hear about some of your ideas on this subject.
- Cyndi
Many studies have been done that reveal the connection between watching violent images and a tendency towards aggressive behavior. It is safe to say that there is at least a loose association. But gaming takes players to a whole new level and requires very specific skills. It is not a passive activity such as simply viewing a video or film.
There are 2 different camps when it comes to this notion. One side firmly believes that the skills required to be an effective gamer are highly developed and useful in the real world. These are skills such as cooperation, understanding complex concepts, and becoming aware of cause and effect relationships. The other side maintains the belief that these games teach violent behavior, which is then transferred to the world outside of gaming.
Ulrika Bennerstedt, Jonas Ivarsson, Ph.D., and Jonas Linderoth recently published the results of a study on this matter in the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.They determined that gamers who were most successful at the process were able to cooperate and had knowledge of complex, highly technical strategies. The gamers, who acted badly within the game by being overly emotional or inconsiderate, didn’t do well.
As a therapist, it is my belief that the effect violent gaming has is somewhat dependent upon the recipient of that stimulus. Kids, who are more prone to aggression, tend to act out after interacting aggressively even if it is only on the computer. Some will come away from the games with the skills these researchers mentioned. All, I suspect, will be affected in one way or another.
What have your experiences been with gaming, either as it pertains to your children, your spouse, or yourself? Do you feel pumped up after battling it out in cyberspace or have you noticed a change of behavior in your loved ones when they do so. It would be interesting to hear about some of your ideas on this subject.
- Cyndi
RELATED FROM AROUND THE WEB
RELATED POSTS
I understand he takes of the baby when im gone, but the baby goes to my moms two days a week. He plays video games all day long and doesn't play with the baby, unless he is crying. Which then he gets upset and in turn. Upsets the baby more.
Posted on 04/20/12 12:04:52 am
Previous:
Eating Junk Food Linked to Depression
Next 
:
Sleep Apnea and Depression
:
Sleep Apnea and Depression
MORE ARTICLES
CATEGORIES:
Personal Opinion
CONDITIONS AND COMMUNITIES:
Anger Management
•
Depression
•
Depression - Teen
•
Depression in Children
•
Depression Supporters
•
Family Issues
•
Healthy Relationships
•
Parenting 'Tweens (9-12)
•
Parenting Big Kids (5-8)
•
Parenting Teenagers (12-18)
•
Parents of Children with ADHD
•
Single Parenting
•
Sleep Problems - Childhood
•
Stress Management
•
Video Game Addiction
MEMBER COMMENTS
TOTAL COMMENTS: 8
-
View All Comments »
Add a Comment
Displaying comments 8-1 of 8
Got a Question?
Anger Management
(2,184 Discussion Topics)
(2,184 Discussion Topics)
Depression
(120,350 Discussion Topics)
(120,350 Discussion Topics)
Depression - Teen
(6,073 Discussion Topics)
(6,073 Discussion Topics)
Depression in Children
(69 Discussion Topics)
(69 Discussion Topics)
Depression Supporters
(1,057 Discussion Topics)
(1,057 Discussion Topics)
Family Issues
(3,073 Discussion Topics)
(3,073 Discussion Topics)
Healthy Relationships
(7,385 Discussion Topics)
(7,385 Discussion Topics)
Parenting 'Tweens (9-12)
(650 Discussion Topics)
(650 Discussion Topics)
Parenting Big Kids (5-8)
(894 Discussion Topics)
(894 Discussion Topics)
Parenting Teenagers (12-18)
(1,435 Discussion Topics)
(1,435 Discussion Topics)
Parents of Children with ADHD
(1,509 Discussion Topics)
(1,509 Discussion Topics)
Single Parenting
(1,334 Discussion Topics)
(1,334 Discussion Topics)
Sleep Problems - Childhood
(36 Discussion Topics)
(36 Discussion Topics)
Stress Management
(1,301 Discussion Topics)
(1,301 Discussion Topics)
Video Game Addiction
(235 Discussion Topics)
(235 Discussion Topics)
It's also clear that bloodthirsty video games can get people used to gore and reduce the shock-factor. This doesn't make people more violent however.
I've found that video games don't cause people to become more violent in everyday life however and in many cases, they help to release pent up aggression. They clearly have a role to play with special needs children.
Unfortunately some people are violent by nature. Violent people tend to like violent games, violent films and violent activities. It's easy to draw a correlation between violent people and gaming violence but it doesn't work in both ways.
All elephants are grey animals, but not all grey animals are elephants.
I've never tried it myself, but apparently, if it means more to you than your spouse does, it must be pretty powerful stuff.
Men (and boys) tend to be "tool-workers" and manipulators of tools, and more "left-brain" logical as far as cause and effect relations of things for "doing" rather than right-brain subjective "relationship"-focused. Men tend to be less verbal in their relationship with the games; women tend to be more social, which the games do not promote socializing. Women tend to to obsess with Facebook rather than games that require moving "things" and challenges.
It does sell papers and gets people tuned into the news though. I remember the times when it was video nasties, then rap music, then drugs and now Video-games. How appropriate that we live in a society that cannot apportion blame correctly.