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Study: Competition, Not Necessarily Violent Games, Is Linked to Aggression
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
"Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link Between Competitive Video Games, Competitive Gambling, and Aggression," a new study to be published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, links competitive activities and aggressive behavior, but not necessarily violent video games.
The study interviewed 1,771 high school students over four years and found a positive correlation between competitive video games and aggressive behavior as well as competitive gambling and aggression. On the other hand, noncompetitive video games had a small, negative correlation with violent behavior. The study defined aggressive behavior as hostile verbal and physical behavior.
The U.S. Congress is considering a number of bills to combat the perceived link between violence and video games. Democratic congressperson Jim Matheson introduced Bill H.R.287 to house in January in hopes of making ESRB ratings legally binding, and President Barack Obama has called for a scientific study investigating the proposed link, leading to open letters from the video game industry asking for no censorship.
