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No Link Between Violent Video Games and Increased Aggression in Teens, Study Finds (gamesindustry.biz)

Posted by msmash on from the upon-closer-inspection dept.

A new study from the Oxford Internet Institute claims to have found no link between time spent playing violent video games, and increased aggressive behavior teen teenagers. From a report: Published in Royal Society Open Science, the study is "one of the most definitive to date" according to the University of Oxford. While many studies have previously made similar and contrary claims, lead researcher professor Andrew Przybylski said the "idea that violent video games drive real-world aggression is a popular one, but it hasn't tested very well over time". According to the university, this study is set apart from previous work by preregistration, where researchers publish their hypothesis, methods and analysis technique before beginning research.

"Part of the problem in technology research is that there are many ways to analyze the same data, which will produce different results," said Przybylski. "A cherry-picked result can add undue weight to the moral panic surrounding video games. The registered study approach is a safeguard against this." This was supported by co-author Dr Netta Weinstein from Cardiff University who said: "Our findings suggest that researcher biases might have influenced previous studies on this topic, and have distorted our understanding of the effects of video games."

44 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. Teens by fluffernutter · · Score: 2

    Try to take those games away, on the other hand, then you see increased aggression.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:Teens by jellomizer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Being a Teenager is a source of aggression.
      It is an interesting combination of near adult intelligence combined with an emotional maturity of a kid, then added to it, during that stage of development, their risk center of their brain is getting rewired.

      So they know when they are not being treated fairly, their emotional state cannot be easily calmed, and let it just be ignored. The risk of being violent to the source that hurt them, isn't properly weighed. All in all just a bad combination.
      Video games, organized sports, music, comic books, at least do a good job of distracting them enough to allow what ever slight against them, to be forgotten or at least given enough time for the intelligent part of the person to take over. Probably the worse thing to do, is allow the kid to stew in their own anger, only feeding back to itself. But a game even a violent one, just changes the topic.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Teens by Mikkeles · · Score: 1

      I'm wondering where all the "correlation isn't causation" posts are.

      --
      Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
    3. Re:Teens by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'm wondering where all the "correlation isn't causation" posts are.

      The correlation is in the other direction. Video games first became popular in the 1990s, and were correlated with a dramatic decline in violent crime. Part of this was likely from other factors, such as a reduction in blood lead levels, and demographic changes (fewer people in the prime-crime age group), but it is also likely that video games helped keep kids at home in their mom's basement instead of out on the street getting in trouble.

      Even today, violent crime is more common among low income teenagers, who have the least access to video games.

      None of this proves causation, but the correlation is "more video games" <=> "less violence".

    4. Re: Teens by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      Every week there are conflicting articles appearing about this subject on these pages

      No there aren't. Researchers have consistently failed to find any causative relationship between video games and violence. We have seen article after article, all saying basically the same thing.

      Those claiming video games cause violence are politicians and publicity seekers, not scientists.

    5. Re:Teens by _merlin · · Score: 1

      There was a knifing at the local Catholic girls' school the other day. Girl had been bullied for years, got sick of it, brought a knife to school, and slashed another girl's leg. Teenage girls are pretty nasty, too.

    6. Re: Teens by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      I played a lot of video games. They didn't make me violent, but my social skills probably would have been a lot better; and that was important in the world as it turns out.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    7. Re:Teens by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Teenage girls get violent too, often for the same reasons.
      But you are not going stop the competition to get the attention of the desired sex, no matter how much community service and sports. It is like almost everyone has been a product of sexual urges for millions of years.

      The real problem with Toxic Masculinity is the lack of good roll models. If a child doesn't have a good roll model, then they will follow what the other kids are doing. Because this other kid is the roll model (even if he has a good adult roll model) is still working out what it means to be a male, so will do a lot of things wrong, and teach the other kid the wrong messages as well.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    8. Re:Teens by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Well you need to get off the Right Wing media news.
      What modern progressives need are "good men" who will not bully, harass, and general make the lives more difficult for transsexuals, ladyboys, gays, lesbians, furies and cross-dressers.

      There seems to be something missing in the dialog, where if you identify as part of the current power base (white, christian, heterosexual, male) that somehow tolerating other groups at a minimum, or welcoming them into your power base somehow will diminish you and your identity.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    9. Re:Teens by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      welcoming them into your power base somehow will diminish you and your identity.

      Well, it will.

      The "baby boom" was quite literally that. The boomer generation was a giant bubble of largely white, christian, English-speaking, middle-class individuals. That's the world they grew up in. Before that the US was more diverse and there were more languages spoken, but that giant explosion of kids swamped that and really changed the demographic makeup of a lot of the US.

      Now that bubble is behind us, and the US is becoming less white and less English speaking. It's returning to normal, although the pendulum is going to swing a long way the other direction and get stuck there. For the boomer generation and their kids, the world they grew up in is changing radically. Their mental model of "american" is no longer correct, and that's causing them a lot of anxiety.

      When a bunch of strange people suddenly are injected into your world, you either fight to save your world, or you accept that your world is changing. The big problem is that a lot of people aren't good with change. Especially change they have no power to control.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    10. Re:Teens by mrclevesque · · Score: 1

      "None of this proves causation, but the correlation is "more video games" "less violence"."

      Interesting, do you think that more violent video game players correlates with more violent verbal exchanges on social media.

    11. Re: Teens by mrclevesque · · Score: 1

      "Those claiming video games cause violence are politicians and publicity seekers, not scientists."

      Violence begets violence, no ? Isn't also possible to always reject Causality when it comes to behaviors that are driven by multiple complex factors.

      And superficially (I didn't look at the study) how is a parent's evaluation of their children's level of violent behavior a sound measure in the studie's context.

  2. Has it been a year already? by Major_Disorder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It seems like there is one of these stories per year. Always the same. Not that facts will ever sway the anti violent video games people. Not claiming for anyone else, but in my case I believe violent games probably saved some lives. Here is why: I was bullied constantly during high school and if I had not had the release of games when I got home from school I firmly believe that I would have lost it one day and come to school ready to take out those that deserved it. Those people are alive today because of video games.

    --
    First law of people: People are generally stupid.
    1. Re:Has it been a year already? by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      My youngest son doesn't take advice well and I think he enjoys starting stuff. I've been telling him for years that it's not going to be someone bigger than him or a better fighter or even someone with a gun but he is going to mess with the wrong person and they are going snap. He will unfortunately find out too late that they are just plain crazy, probably when they hit him with a car or truck.

    2. Re:Has it been a year already? by Calydor · · Score: 1

      Way to blame the victim for being bullied, Anonymous Coward.

      --
      -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
  3. Another Sign by SirAstral · · Score: 1

    on how dumb humans have become or just are. We never needed a study for something like this. We humans seem to think we know so much that we are certain of everything around us.

    Human Stupidity is truly boundless, just as Einstein said.

    Stay tuned... next time someone finds a link, and then unfinds it, then finds it again.

    Back and forth we all go, thinking that we are in the know...
    and by the time its all done, the lesson learned is we are dumb!

    1. Re:Another Sign by SirAstral · · Score: 1

      Even though your attempt is clearly meant to be insulting, its true.

      I can recognize all sorts of dumb things I have done in life. I also recognize all sorts of dumb things others have done in life. It is the people that refuse to accept that they are dumb and do dumb things that are the worst among us.

    2. Re:Another Sign by gweihir · · Score: 2

      You missed the key-component here: The preregistration. The actual finding here is that most previous studies had flawed results due to a faulty approach.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  4. Social Priming by JBMcB · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There was this concept that was en vogue in the 1990s and 2000s called "Social Priming." The idea was, if you are exposed to violence, or bigotry, or sexism, or other anti-social behaviors through media, you were more likely to adopt those behaviors. There were a few influential studies that proved the theory to be true.

    Then, a few years ago, there was a bit of a scandal when a group of researchers attempted to re-create these studies and couldn't get the same findings. If I recall correctly, the impetus for some of these re-tests where the dearth of evidence coming from video game violence studies. This study seems to line up with previous findings.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    1. Re:Social Priming by SirAstral · · Score: 1

      Well, people usually are a product of their environments, the problem with that concept is that the result of that product is up to the person.

      If the person is abused as a child they could be abusive as well or anti-abusive... both positions are likely a product of their environment because one never got over it and the other resolved that they would not continue the chain of abuse. Because of this, people get a false idea of the concept of "Social Priming"

      I posit that it is not Social Priming that creates what people like or dislike, instead "Social Priming" creates closet cases. If society responds positively to something then more people tend to be open about what they are. If society responds negatively then more people tend to keep it in the closet. People don't stop being what they are, they just hide it instead when it's perceived as negative.

    2. Re:Social Priming by Livius · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The idea was, if you are exposed to violence, or bigotry, or sexism, or other anti-social behaviors through media, you were more likely to adopt those behaviors.

      Some of the most extreme intolerance seems to originate with people who grew up so sheltered from bigotry that they cannot distinguish actual prejudice from honest disagreement.

    3. Re:Social Priming by gweihir · · Score: 1

      The difference is between actual research (were you want to find truth) and "research" were the goal is propaganda to promote some popular misconceptions. The idea of "Social Priming" is shallow, basic and stupid, and has the intellectual level of "A causes A", which rarely is true. But a lot of people, including a lot of politicians, think that way and it gives the opportunity to "do something", even if that something is horribly wrong.

      What we see here is an example of actual research, done by people with high integrity that made damn sure their result were accurate and not influenced by their own expectations.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  5. Re:This isn't news. by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I have been reading these studies for over 20 years. Why is this even new? The outcome is always the same in each study.

    It's not new. We see the same studies over and over again- and everyone acts surprised every time. SURPRISE- violent video games do not cause violence (in your typical teenager).

    Now, notice I saw "typical"; I think, even though the vast majority of children can differentiate between video game violence and real life violence, there are some for whom it could be a trigger.

    Just because in 99% of children violent video games don't cause violence- it doesn't mean that that last 1% WON'T. Parent's need to be responsible, if your kids is one of those who are easily influence by video games to mix the imaginary worlds with the real, or has mental health problems, you probably should use more care in what games your kids play.

    For the other 99%, let them shoot, stab, and impale!

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  6. Here Is the money quote by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    From TFA:

    Although there was no correlation found between playing video games and agressive behaviour in tennagers, researchers noted that games can provoke angry feelings or reactions.

    This is EXACTLY why this stupid myth keeps coming up. People see kids yelling when playing video games and they think "Oh my they are getting violent".

    Nope. Maybe they aren't even mad at others, just themselves. The yelling blows away any aggression in short order, and it's pretty much gone when you stop playing. THAT is why there is demonstrably no link between an increase in violence and video games.

    If you want to see a much of extra real violence and stupidity, take a bunch of bored teens and put them out of the house all day.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  7. Once upon a time.... by mark-t · · Score: 1
    ... it was jazz, then it was too much television, then it was rock and roll, then it was metal music, then it was role playing games, then video games, then too much time playing on the computer, then too much time on their cell phone....

    Who knows what they'll try to blame troubled youth on in the next generation?

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    1. Re:Once upon a time.... by Livius · · Score: 1

      Who knows what they'll try to blame troubled youth on in the next generation?

      If it's going to be as big as those earlier excuses, I want to know what it is so I can buy stock in it.

  8. I don't know about that by rsilvergun · · Score: 2

    I've been playing Burnout 3 on OG XBox and I swear to God if it spawns a car right around the corner while another racer is on my tail shoving me into it I'm gonna get violent. I swear, I can't even bronze some of those races. And don't get me started on rail gunning spawn campers in Quake 3.

    Oh wait, I'm not a teen, I'm pushing past 40. Does that still count?

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  9. Look further back in the kid's history by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 2

    I'm sure the bullsh*t and drivel that passes for an elementary school education these days has a lot to do with it. What would really be interesting to see is whether or not there is a link between playing violent video games and DECREASED aggression.

  10. Re:Representative sample? by dgatwood · · Score: 1

    Meh. This has been studied to death, and study after study concludes that there is no causation. How many studies does it take before people stop being utterly terrified of letting young people do things that they consider fun, out of some bizarre puritanical fear that playing video games will somehow scar them for life?

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  11. /s Video Games caused World Wars ... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

    /sarcasm Video Games caused World War 1 & 2 where millions died. Oh wait, video games were invented AFTER these tragedies.

    Gee, maybe genocide video games such as FPS / RPG / RTS, etc. genres are providing a safe outlet for man's natural violent tendencies. They are a symptom, not a cause.

  12. Different factors by Rolgar · · Score: 1

    There are all sorts of things that have increased overtime that might be a cause. Boys being raised in households without a father would be a prime place to look. If they find that as a better cause, then you have to factor that in when you consider this factor at a later date.

  13. Thought we did this already with Jack Thompson by Kargan · · Score: 1

    Well, son of a bitch:

    https://comicbook.com/gaming/2...

    --
    Palaces, barricades, threats, meet promises
  14. Really?!? by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    “If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music.” -- Marcus Brigstocke

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  15. Then VS now, by WolfgangVL · · Score: 1

    When I was 13, I was out smoking weed and breaking shit for fun. My 13 year old is hanging out in his room, gaming with his "friends" online, and watching kids on youtube smoke weed and break shit for fun.

    I'm certain the urge to be a asshole teenager is still there, it's just easier to release the beast digitally, be it online videos, online gaming, or trolling forums.

    The massive popularity of online shooters and other ultra violent games means that the kid that's been torturing animals under the overpass is into violent games just as much as the square honor student from the better side of town.

    --
    You are being ripped off every second of every day, so that advertisers can help rip you off even more tomorrow.
  16. Re:From a very old episode of Law & Order by zkiwi34 · · Score: 1

    See sports where there is an opportunity to physically hurt someone - American Football, Football, Australian Rules (Geez mate, he must have run 50 meters to get in on that fight), Rugby, Lacrosse etc. How many of those sports are stuffed to the gills with psycopaths?

  17. Re:This isn't news. by Mr.+Dollar+Ton · · Score: 1

    posting to undo bad moderation, sorry.

  18. Statistics by fox171171 · · Score: 1

    Newsflash: 98% of violent teens play violent video games.

    Not mentioned: 98% of teens play violent video games.

  19. DejaMoo by jwhyche · · Score: 2

    The feeling I have heard this bullshit before. Oh wait, I have. When I was growing up and we didn't have realistic video games. We had our imagination and AD&D. Same class of fools thought we where all going to turn into axe murdering psychopaths. Another class of fools thought we had sold our souls to satan.

    Well been playing table top rollplaying games for 35 years. I've yet to go on an axe based killing spree. Come to think of it I can't recall anyone I know doing it ether.

    Same bullshit, different bunch of fools

    --
    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    1. Re:DejaMoo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I've yet to go on an axe based killing spree

      Why so specific? What other kinds of killing sprees have you been on? What are your plans for future killing sprees?

  20. idiot researchers by bigtreeman · · Score: 1

    idiot researchers don't see the connection. My grandson acknowledged the connection after he was charged following a violent assault.

    --
    Go well
  21. asshole parents? by spongman · · Score: 1

    can someone do a study to see if there's a link between teen aggression and having assholes for parents?

    maybe we can pass legislation to ban those?

  22. My study by Gabest · · Score: 1

    I found link between the number of violent games and contradictory studies.

  23. Aggression, Parents and Crime reduction by Acron · · Score: 1

    I suspect what is meant by aggression needs to be defined in the high level summaries for these kinds of studies (I'm sure the researchers are much more specific in their paper). Any parent of most any teenage boy who's been told to turn the game off will thoroughly concur that video games cause negative behavior that can definitely be described as aggressive. Of course, you're likely to get that reaction to trying to stop any sort of addictive behavior. We should care a lot more about how video games are creating addictions because that leads to a range of far more negative outcomes and behaviors.

    As to crime reduction over the last 30+ years, I highly recommend reading the book Freakonomics. It has a whole chapter on what the data seems to support as the cause, and it's not kids playing video games. If you support what was the likely cause, you really need to study the history of eugenics and take a good long look at in whose company you stand by supporting what you do.

  24. Re:This isn't news. by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Exactly right. If your kid shoots up a school, you should remove any violent video games from their computer.

    Indeed... although, also, my kid showed easy influence from media at an early age. From TV, to computer games- he would act out what he saw and that included violence. He was one of those "1%" (and 1% is a guess, I don't know what the real number is). So we've steered him away from access to violent video games. I recognized the bad influence in him... but I do believe him to be in the minority, he is also on the autism spectrum, and that may or may not have had something to do with it.

    Just because my kid reacted bad towards violent video games doesn't mean I am opposed to violent video games- you don't punish the many because of a few. My point is, we really need parents keeping a watchful eye on their kids and monitoring this. It might not be video games, it might be youtube videos, tv, or hanging out with the wrong crowd. Some kids are just easily influenced, and parents need to be aware.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch