NCJ Number
221441
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2008 Pages: 127-141
Date Published
February 2008
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article presents conceptual and empirical analyses of several of the "best practices" of learning and instruction and demonstrates how violent video games use them effectively to motivate learners to persevere in acquiring and mastering a number of skills, to navigate through complex problems and changing environments, and to experiment with various identities until success is achieved.
Abstract
Based on its findings, the study concluded that violent video games are exemplary teachers of aggression. Playing multiple violent video games, even after controlling for total amount of time playing all video games, apparently led to a better transfer of aggressive cognitions and behavior than playing a mix of violent and nonviolent games or playing only nonviolent games. Students who played multiple violent games changed in the course of their game playing to have a greater hostile attribution bias, which also increased their aggressive behaviors over prior levels. The findings confirmed the hypothesis that distributed practice in playing violent video games over time will lead to greater aggressive cognitions and behaviors. The findings indicate that video game playing effectively achieves changes in attitudes and behaviors in accordance with the objectives and skills required to win the game. The learning principles of the violent video games should be used in video games and other types of simulation games that encourage the use of skills in conflict resolution, negotiation, and ethical behaviors in order to "win" the game, i.e., achieve the feeling of accomplishment and success. The study tested its hypotheses with samples of 430 elementary-school children (mean age of 10 years), 607 young adolescents (mean age of 14 years), and 1,441 older adolescents (mean age of 19 years). Participants were surveyed about their video-game habits and their aggressive cognitions and behaviors. 3 tables, 1 figure, and 88 references