Analytical Comparison Essay Video Game Violence
English 102
23 October, 2012
Video Game Violence In the United States video games and violence have become synonymous to each other. Some of the most popular games today tend to be the most violent. This has brought up the issue of video game violence and its relation to adolescent violence. Many argue that video game violence primes anger and aggressive thoughts in the individual using them. But research and proof of this argument has been limited, inconclusive, or contradictory which has brought up debate over the issue. Two scholarly research articles, “Video Games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life.” by Craig A Anderson and Karen E Dill and “Video Games and Youth Violence: A Prospective Analysis in Adolescents” by Christopher J Ferguson, published in 2000 and 2010 respectively, debate this topic and discuss the psychological effects of violent video games on the user. The article by Anderson and Dill asserted that video game exposure increased aggressive traits long-term and short-term while the research article by Ferguson made the claim that outside conditions and factors such as personality traits, family environment, and depressive symptoms far better indicated increased aggression or youth violence than violent video game play. Both articles conducted their own studies in attempts to measure the correlation between video game violence and aggression level. However, Ferguson’s article had a more complete argument, accounting for more outside third variables, expanding upon data from previous conducted studies, and counter-arguing opposing studies and evidence against video game violence. Overall Ferguson’s article provided a stronger argument against video games causing violence and aggression, drawing upon more references and evidence, counter-attacking and pointing out flaws of previous research conducted, and analyzing numerous other factors. In the 2000 article, “Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts,
23 October, 2012
Video Game Violence In the United States video games and violence have become synonymous to each other. Some of the most popular games today tend to be the most violent. This has brought up the issue of video game violence and its relation to adolescent violence. Many argue that video game violence primes anger and aggressive thoughts in the individual using them. But research and proof of this argument has been limited, inconclusive, or contradictory which has brought up debate over the issue. Two scholarly research articles, “Video Games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life.” by Craig A Anderson and Karen E Dill and “Video Games and Youth Violence: A Prospective Analysis in Adolescents” by Christopher J Ferguson, published in 2000 and 2010 respectively, debate this topic and discuss the psychological effects of violent video games on the user. The article by Anderson and Dill asserted that video game exposure increased aggressive traits long-term and short-term while the research article by Ferguson made the claim that outside conditions and factors such as personality traits, family environment, and depressive symptoms far better indicated increased aggression or youth violence than violent video game play. Both articles conducted their own studies in attempts to measure the correlation between video game violence and aggression level. However, Ferguson’s article had a more complete argument, accounting for more outside third variables, expanding upon data from previous conducted studies, and counter-arguing opposing studies and evidence against video game violence. Overall Ferguson’s article provided a stronger argument against video games causing violence and aggression, drawing upon more references and evidence, counter-attacking and pointing out flaws of previous research conducted, and analyzing numerous other factors. In the 2000 article, “Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts,
Cited: Ferguson, Christopher J. "Video Games and Youth Violence: A Prospective Analysis in Adolescents." Journal of Youth and Adolescence 40.4 (2011): 377+. Academic OneFile. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. Anderson, Craig A., and Karen E. Dill. "Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life." Journal of personality and social psychology 78.4 (2000): 772-90. PsycARTICLES. Web. 25 Oct. 2012.