Agression and Violent Video Games

805 Words4 Pages
Anderson and Dill (2000) examined whether violent video games increase aggressive behaviour in both the short term and long term of exposure. General Affective Aggression Model (GAAM) is a model that incorporates existing theory and data relating to the learning, development, instigation and expression of human aggression. It is mostly based on knowledge structures created by the social learning processes. Previous studies show some support that violent games can increase aggression, but they cannot eliminate the possibility that central variables like excitement, difficulty or enjoyment created the increase in aggression. In the media world, it is shown that violent video games and movies are more popular than non-violent ones. Therefore the observed effects could have been enhanced by extreme excitement levels produced by the violent video games. The exposure of violent video games over a long period of time may be positively correlated with aggression. GAAM expects that short term exposure to video games will increase aggressive behaviour and cognition. Also, people who score high on aggressive personality measures will perform more aggressively when provoked. In study 1, Anderson and Dill (2000) tested the relationship between long-term exposure to violent games and several outcome consequences like aggressive behaviour, and academic achievement. 78 male and 149 female undergraduates participated in a group questionnaire session where the data was recorded. The academic achievement data was acquired from the university’s registrar. The questionnaire collected the data on individual differences and aggressive behaviour, delinquency, and world view. There were six scales that were contained within the questionnaire. As predicted, exposure to video game violence was positively correlated to aggressive personality. Video game violence was negatively, but not
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