Violent video games are often blamed for making young people more aggressive. However, a recent study conducted in the Czech Republic challenges this preconception.
According to this research, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, there is no evidence that playing violent video games increases physical aggression in adolescents.
Individuals who play violent video games do not necessarily become more aggressive, according to a study involving 3,010 Czech teenagers and titled “Does violence in video games impact aggression and empathy? A longitudinal study of Czech adolescents to differentiate within- and between-person effects”.
The paper is available via the ScienceDirect platform. “Presented findings contradict the (General Aggression Model), which posits that repeated exposure to violent content results in an increase in aggression and a decrease in empathy,” the study reads.
With their findings, the researchers differentiate between two different effects: between-person effects and within-person effects. Between-person effects highlighted by the study reveal that individuals who play more violent games tend to have slightly higher scores on cognitive empathy and verbal aggression.
On the other hand, findings relating to within-person effects, which examine how changes in an individual’s gaming habits affect their behaviour over time, show no significant impact of violent video games on aggression or empathy.
The study did, however, reveal some interesting nuances. For example, participants who displayed increased empathy during the third stage of data collection tended to play fewer violent video games by the fourth stage. Those who showed an increase in physical aggression in the third stage, on the other hand, tended to play more violent games in the fourth stage.
This finding could signal a possible harmful effect, but should be treated with caution, the researchers say. “The only effect observed in this context was that an increase in affective empathy is associated with a decrease in (violent video games).
“This is consistent with the selection hypothesis; however, since the effect was observed only from T3 to T4, it is possible that these effects are less stable than assumed and could change under various circumstances that were not captured in this longitudinal study focused on long-term effects (e.g., exposure patterns to other digital media, individual life events, changes in social environment).”
External factors to take into account
For the researchers, the relationship between violent video games and aggression is more complex, influenced by a combination of individual differences and contextual factors.
“In essence, while adolescents with higher general aggression may prefer [violent video games], it is not indicative that increased engagement in [violent video games] leads to heightened aggression. Therefore, much of the prior evidence may have been influenced by the higher variability present at the between-person level.
“This study underscores the imperative need to differentiate between these two levels of analysis to elucidate the genuine causal relationships between [violent video games] and aggression,” the study reads.
External factors, such as the global Covid-19 pandemic, can also influence teenage gamers’ general aggressiveness.
“They may be influenced by unmeasured situational variables, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, another potential explanation could stem from the Covid-19 situation that arose during our data collection period, particularly in the impact upon the initial waves of data collection.
“This global crisis led to significant changes in behavior, notably among isolated children and adolescents, who reported increased gaming hours, especially in multiplayer games, as a coping mechanism for psychological distress and to mitigate social isolation,” the study explains.
To measure aggression, the researchers used the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire – Short Form, a recognized tool for assessing various forms of aggression, including physical and verbal aggression. Empathy was assessed using the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy, which measures both cognitive empathy (the ability to understand the emotions of others) and affective empathy (the ability to share the emotional experiences of others).
While data collection was conducted from June 2020 to December 2022, only 1,052 people completed all four stages of the study, largely younger individuals, which may have influenced the study findings, the researchers point out.
The researchers also qualify the results by pointing out that gamers had been free to name the video games they played the most, with Minecraft topping the list, followed by Roblox, Fortnite, the GTA games and Brawl Stars.
“Despite (violent video games) not being assessed by the criticized self-report of the assessment of violence and instead by expert ratings obtained from Common Sense Media and two independent raters, it still relies on the self-reports of participants for video game names and their order. Thus, it might not be entirely reliable, because participants could omit or forget some played video games.
“Time spent in games was also not assessed. Future research should, therefore, utilize objective measurements for played video games and time spent on them,” the researchers write.
Other, previous studies have demonstrated that playing video games does not necessarily lead to violence or aggression. Some have even found positive effects in terms of mental well-being and humanitarian awareness. – AFP Relaxnews
