Models for Aggressive Behavior: The Attributes of Violent Characters in Popular Video Games

Americans are increasingly touched about video games, presumably to be paid to the amount and graphicness of violence they contain. Social Cognitive Theory glance ats that people are more likely to imitate characters they diocese as attractive or similar to self To date, however, little research has examined attributes of violent characters in video games related to this issue. This easy in mind analysis examined 10 minutes of play from 60 of the greatest in quantity popular video games. Adapting the coding scheme from the National Television Violence application of mind (Smith et al., 1998; Wilson et al., 1997 1998) various demographic and contextual features of violent characters and violent interactions were assessed. The accrues show that violent game characters have attributes that are likely to increase the expansion to which some players perceive them as attractive and similar. Moreover, these violent characters engage in aggression that is not absented as justified or graphic.

Keywords: Video Games; Aggression; Violence; Content

The violent, graphic nature of popular video games in the United States has l many social critics to voice alarm about the potential impact of playing these games, arguing that playing violent video games is contributing to anti-social behavior in society (Elmer-Dewitt, 1993) In fact, exposing to violent video games has plane been cited as a possible contributory factor in the schoolyard massacres at Columbine High and Westside Middle gymnasium (Flatin, 2000; Gegax, Adler, & Pedersen 1998) While a number of experimental studies have linked video game playing and aggressive contemplations and behavior (Anderson & Dill 2000; Ballard & Lineberger 1999) hardly any have examined potentially problematic contextual features associated with this violence, of the like kind as attributes related to violent perpetrators, which may contribute to these aggressive replys The goal of this investigation was to content analyze 60 popular abiding-place video games, in an attempt to evaluate features associated with perpetrators and victims that may enhance the nefarious results of game violence.

Video game use data indicates that children expend large amounts of time playing video games. A report released by the agency of the Kaiser Family Foundation (1999) reveals that a majority of 2- to 18-year-old children in the U.S.A. have access to video game technology in their domicile Nearly three fourths of all families observeed have at least one video game solace and one third of all children in this age clump have a game system in their hold room. More recent data from Sherry, Lucas, Greenberg, and Lachlan (in press) remind ofs that on average boys expend about 11 hours a week playing video games, while girls part with about 6 hours doing in the way that Because youngsters are spending time with video game technology, several overlooks have been conducted to examine the relationship between game playing and aggressive tendencies (Dominick, 1984) For example, Wiegman and van Shie (1998) asked 10- to 14-year-olds to self-report by what mode much time they spent playing video games as well as their specific game predilections The results showed a positive relationship between preferring violent games and aggressive behavior. Other studies have supported this positive relationship between in all senses to violent games and aggression with one as well as the other child (Dominick, 1984; Lin & Lepper 1987) and adult samples (Anderson & Dill, 2000) Although these findings are informative, they are based upon survey data. As such, we have no way of knowing if playing violent video games is actually causing aggressive behavior in these instances. However, several experiments have attempted to examine causal linkages between playing violent video games and hostile reactions. For example, Anderson and Ford (1986) randomly assigned community students to one of three conditions: playing a highly aggressive game, playing a mildly aggressive game, or to a no play command condition. Immediately after, the participants listed their aggressive contemplations and feelings using an adjective checklist manner of proceeding The results showed that players in one as well as the other aggressive game conditions listed significantly more hostile meditations than did those in the mastery condition.

While this study focused upon attitudinal outcomes, attitudinal shifts do not necessarily translate into behavior. However, the event of violent video games upon behavior has also been examined in experimental settings. For example, Anderson and Dill (2000) had undergraduates play either a violent or non-violent video game and then engage in a series of competitive time tasks. As a measure of aggression, the participants delivered noxious noises to their foes after winning each timed task. The flows revealed that immediately after losing, participants who played the violent video game gave significantly longer blasts of noise than did those who played the non violent video game. Similar findings have been documented by means of Ballard and Lineberger (1999). Moreover, at least single study has examined the impact of playing violent video games upon children's aggressive behavior. Shutte, Malouf, Post-Gordon, and Rodasta (1987) had 5- to 7-year-olds play either violent or non-violent games in pairs. Subsequently the sum of two units children were given 5 minutes of independent playtime in another room with a Bobo doll. The rises showed that children who played the violent game were significantly more likely to attack the doll or each other than were those who played the non-violent game.