NCJ Number
241580
Journal
Developmental Psychology Volume: 28 Issue: 4 Dated: 2012 Pages: 1044-1057
Date Published
2012
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This longitudinal study examined sustained violent video game play and aggressive behavior among 1,492 adolescents (50.8 percent female) during their high school years (grade 9 to grade 12).
Abstract
The study examined whether violent video game play predicted aggression over time (socialization hypothesis) compared to the selection hypothesis, which supposes that aggression would precede and predict violent video game play over time. The study found that sustained violent video game play was significantly related to steeper increases in adolescents' trajectory of aggressive behavior over time; greater violent video game play predicted higher levels of aggression over time, after controlling for previous levels of aggression. In contrast, no support was found for the selection hypothesis, i.e., that aggressive behavior predicted sustained playing of violent video games. On the other hand, nonviolent video game play did not predict higher levels of aggressive behavior over time. These findings, along with the finding that a high percentage of adolescents play video games for several hours every day, emphasizes the need for adolescents and their parents to address the adverse behavioral consequences (aggression) of the sustained playing of violent video games. Video games whose content includes violent actions by the player, competition, and an intense action pace should be of particular concern. Study participants were surveyed every year about their video game play and aggressive behavior. Nonviolent video game play, frequency of overall video game play, and a comprehensive set of potential third variables were included as covariates in each analysis. 3 tables, 3 figures, and 54 references