Computer games research

• 3 methods of research used:

  • Experimental studies
  • Correlation studies
  • Longitudinal studies
• Experimental studies - takes place in the lab

  Findings - short term increases in levels of physiological arousal, hostile feelings and aggressive behaviour following sessions of violent game play compared with non-violent game play.
• Experimental studies

  Arousal is measured by blood pressure and heart rate, and hostility by self report measures.

  Aggressive behaviour cannot be measured directly. Instead, participants blast each other with high levels of white noise (a random, multi frequency sound)
• Experimental studies example - Anderson (2000)

  Student participants based their opponents with white noise for longer and rated themselves higher on a hostility scale after playing a violent 'first person shooter game; compared to those who played a slow paced puzzle game.
• AO3 - Experimental studies

  • Date
  • Student participants
  • Lab experiment
  • Independent groups design
  • Mundane realism
  • Hostility scale (self reporting technique)
  • Determinism
• Correlational studies - use surveys to identify patterns of computer game use and aggressive feelings and behaviour
• Correlational study example - DeLisi (2013)

  Studied 227 juvenile offenders, all with aggressive history. They used structured interviews and gathered data on several measures of aggression and violent computer game play.
• Correlational study - DeLisi

  Findings - offenders aggression was significantly correlated with how often they play violent computer games and how much they enjoyed them.

  They concluded that computer game violence was a significant risk factor for aggression.
• AO3 - correlational studies

  • Date
  • Sample and sample size
  • Interviews
  • Correlation - cause and effect
  • Determinism
• Longitudinal studies - these studies of the long term effects of video and computer games are rare.
• Longitudinal studies example - Anderson (2007)

  430 7-9 year olds were surveyed at two points in the school year.
• Longitudinal Anderson findings

  Children who had high exposure to violent video games became more aggressive and less pro-social.

  This suggests that repeated exposure to violent games increases aggressive behaviour and decreases pro-social behaviour
• Longitudinal studies - evaluation

  • Date
  • Age
  • Sample
  • Surveys (self reporting technique)
  • Correlations
  • Determinism
• Further evaluation

  Research has found that as video games have become more violent overtime, higher levels of aggression have been shown. Supports link between media and aggression
• Further evaluation

  Research in this area looks at short term effects so we don't know if the effects are long lasting

  Individual differences are not taken into account. Not everyone is affected or affected in the same way. Suggests that other factors may also play a part