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Study: Video Gamer Aggression Result of Game Experience, Not Violent Content

An anonymous reader writes "A new study published in the March edition of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology indicates that a gamer's experience of a video game and not the content of the game itself can give rise to violent behavior. In other words, 'researchers found it was not the narrative or imagery, but the lack of mastery of the game's controls and the degree of difficulty players had completing the game that led to frustration.' Based on their findings, researchers note that even games like Tetris and Candy Crush can inspire violent behavior more so than games like World of Warcraft or Grand Theft Auto if they are poorly designed and difficult to play."

4 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Nintendo Hard by Max+Threshold · · Score: 5, Funny

    The original NES must have raised a generation of cold-blooded killers.

  2. Not too surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I should know: I've played Assassin's Creed.

    fucking camera. fucking ezio, going in the wrong fucking direction. running into fucking walls. jumping off fucking roofs. fucking FUCK.

  3. In other news ... by Kittenman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Watching sad movies makes you sad. Listening to happy music can cheer you up. Reading a sad book can make you unhappy.

    Video games are just another entertainment form.

    I appreciate that TFA is referring to a lack of mastery of the controls makes you aggressive (or frustrated)...but so does lack of mastery of anything you spend time on.
    And my bugbear is XCOM classic ironman... damn those aliens.

    --
    "The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
  4. Re:Here we go again by epyT-R · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would also say that everyone has limits. Backing individuals into impossible situations passive aggressively is something that modern society has become very good at. Since some people have more control than others for a given type of situation, those with less end up as canaries in the coal mine. Eg, the rise in school shootings probably has to do with how our society/school system increasingly treats individuality negatively. Those who feel it most, feel it first. Boom.