Sorry Hillary, video games don't cause violence


Numerous studies have yet to find a link
John Luik writes at Tech Central Station.

Professor Jonathan Freedman of the University of Toronto in an extensive review (2001) of the psychological evidence about video games and violence, notes that while there is evidence that people who like and play video games tend to be more aggressive than those who play and like them less, like addiction, this finding is merely an association that says nothing about the direction of causation. Indeed, more aggressive individuals might be attracted to video games as opposed to influenced by them. Some researchers have suggested that rather than promoting aggression, video games might actually release it.
 
As for the effects, both short and long term, of playing certain violent video games, Freedman concludes that there is minimal evidence that there is a short term increase in aggressiveness and "not the slightest evidence that playing violent video games causes any long-term or lasting increase in aggressiveness or violence." This echoes the conclusions of a five year study by the Australian government which found that there was "at best only weak and ambiguous evidence that violent games bring violent behavior."

Here is one of my rules of thumb. If a politician tells you that your behavior is causing harm BUT can't actually show the harm, they are doing it for the headlines and not for your own good.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Fri - December 2, 2005 at 08:16 AM  Tag


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