Study: Evidence low that video games cause violence

by Alexander Sliwinski { Feb 19th 2007 at 1:15PM }

A Texas A&M researcher sent GamePolitics a study he recently completed showing little evidence linking violent video games and violent behavior. Christopher Ferguson, a Ph.D faculty member at the university's department of behavioral, applied sciences and criminal justice, conducted a "meta-analysis" of studies associating violent video game exposure with aggressive behaviors. A look at the overall result of studies in the field showed violent video games increase people's aggressive thoughts, not necessarily action.

That's like if you watch a comedy it increases funny thoughts, or after watching a melodrama it increases Japanese RPG thoughts. For the violent game studies to have some validity, the key is for a study to prove that violent video games don't just cause thoughts of violence, but violence itself.

Tags: apocolypse, death, destruction, mayhem, simulator, video game murder, VideoGameMurder

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Myke @ Feb 19th 2007 1:18PM

Probably the best picture to go along with that headline...

Triforceowner @ Feb 19th 2007 1:27PM

"Japanese Man Kills for Arcade Money"

"Study: Evidence low that video games cause violence"

LOL... and very sad...

ackmondual @ Feb 19th 2007 1:35PM

""Study: Evidence low that video games cause violence""

That's pretty much what gamers have been saying all along. Good to have empirical evidence to back that up

GoldenS1104 @ Feb 19th 2007 1:42PM

This is so ironic considering the article right before this one...

Derbeste @ Feb 19th 2007 1:45PM

Things that cause violent thoughts:

1. Driving

2. Christmas

3. Ports

4. Mornings

5. Driving on Christmas morning

6. REALLY hotpockets

7. work

8. Sunburns

9. Driving with a sunburn

10. Role players (note: LARPing causes comedic thoughts)

11. Sony

12. Working for Sony

13. Politics

14. Women

15. Women driving

16. Stereotypes

17. Irony

18. People who don't get my sense of humor

19. Violent movies

20. Ganster Rap

21. Driving with someone that likes country

and most importantly...

22. Lack of alcohol

Moral?

Always have booz handy.

steve17 @ Feb 19th 2007 1:46PM

idk think people will ever get it though. common sense means nothing to the political radicals out there.

what about the 20 million of us that played doom and DIDNT go shoot kids at our school?

video games kill like spoons make rosie o'donnell fat.

Zertoss @ Feb 19th 2007 1:46PM

I don't know how much credit I can give to this study considering it was performed by an Aggie. ;)

(I wonder how many people outside of Texas will get that)

Jake @ Feb 19th 2007 2:00PM

At this point it should be evident that the effect of games on violent, criminal activities is very small if it even exists. People are trying very hard to prove a link, spending a lot of research money just hoping for one, without any success proving anything. All the while, there has been virtually no effort being spent to try to show that games reduce violence. Not that they do, but often you can show a lot of coorelations if you try hard enough.

From my personal experience, I would say that non-gamers are typically more violent than gamers. That's based on fighting violence only; I've never known a murderer. I did talk to Chao Vang, a dude that murdered like 7 Wisconsin hunters, once drunk in a stripclub (seriously), but he was definately not a gamer.

miles foreman @ Feb 19th 2007 2:06PM

RE: 8. I don't know how much credit I can give to this study considering it was performed by an Aggie. ;)

(I wonder how many people outside of Texas will get that)

Posted at 1:46PM on Feb 19th 2007 by Zertoss

I did. The other day on the way to work (I live in Austin) I saw a gigantor SUV with Aggie crap plastered over the back side of it. I sped up next to them and honked a few times, then gave 'em the horns. The little lady driving nearly crashed. :(

REUYL @ Feb 19th 2007 2:27PM

This article needs a picture with the caption, "Jack ThompsOWNED!"

jcmschwa @ Feb 19th 2007 2:59PM

@11

HOOK'EM!

BigDrahma @ Feb 19th 2007 3:12PM

Green side up, Aggies!

kinshadow @ Feb 19th 2007 3:14PM

@11 I know what you mean. Everytime I see one of those TU-loving, T-sip tanks/trucks/SUVs (covered with that foul burnt orange color), I just shoot at the passengers and blame the whole thing on video games.

Gig'em Aggies!

J-Mar @ Feb 19th 2007 3:22PM

Hey sweet, I actually participated in this study, i was the first guinea pig!

dustandechoes91 @ Feb 19th 2007 3:22PM

Something interesting:

I CAN link videogames to violent behavior. The funny thing is, its not really violent videogames that do it for me, its racing games. Also what causes it is playing racing or shooter videogames against friends who are IN THE SAME room only as me. Its the heat of the competition that really gets an adrenaline rush going. Its the same exact thing as sports, only with sports its different. Im a runner. When im anchoring the 4x400(if you are a runnner you know what that is) and im battling it out for first in that last 100 meter straightaway, i get really angry. However, when running, i vent that anger into my legs, which even though they are dead still manage to keep going faster and faster, when playing videogames, all you can do to vent it is get angry, taunt the other players, and maybe throw the controller. It never happens to me when playing online, mainly caus it doesnt matter to me if i loose to some random person who i never have and never will meet, but when me and 3 friends are going at it with swords and rockets at zanzibar, being number 1 is the only option. These violent behaviors dont just affect people playing videogames, it can happen with sports or anything else competitive, and usually only last up to a few minutes after the game ends, nothing to make some kid shoort up his school

Jonny @ Feb 19th 2007 3:29PM

Evolution and violence in video games affecting behavior are the two biggest crocks of unproven bandwagon psuedo-science bullshit in the history of the world.

Goldspire @ Feb 19th 2007 4:00PM

If anything violent video games allow me to vent my anger from daily frustrations.. #6 has a good list going.

miles foreman @ Feb 19th 2007 4:27PM

You could probably link more incidents of violence to college football rivalries than to video games.

NeverSage @ Feb 19th 2007 5:45PM

Not to start a debate about evolution, but at least that has scientific fact to back it up, unlike video games causing violence

HPsempfi @ Feb 19th 2007 8:47PM

Never been so proud to be an Aggie, Gig 'Em

Sarge @ Feb 20th 2007 12:47PM

So what DOES affect behavior? Nothing? You can't deny that we are influenced by many sources. Games may not be the end-all, be-all, but they can certainly contribute.

And of COURSE more aggressive behavior could NEVER lead to more violence. Because that might make sense. Some of us can control it, but I know people who don't control anger quite as well.

Sarge out.