Ok so, admittedly, I have a soft spot for video games (depending on the game) and occasionally
I’ll completely abandon my homework and shirk all responsibilities to play the latest blockbuster video game. Unfortunately for my school work, one of these very games, Fallout 4, came out last week and I’ve been… you know, playing it. Fallout 4 is an exceptionally violent video game, not to my surprise, and within 15 minutes of playing I found myself with the ability to essentially freeze time and dismember and/or decapitate anyone who looked at me funny. Personally, I would be horrified if I walked in on my hypothetical child blowing some poor guy’s head off on the TV so I decided to actually explore the effects of violent video games on our brains. So, let’s find out if all those years spent playing video games messed me up.

Fortunately, the American Psychology Association (APA) established a task force to review the effects of violent video games. They found that 90% of all American teenagers play some sort of video game and when you look at 14-17 it is an astonishing 97%. As a result, the task force was asked to assess if a new meta-analysis would be required to come to a conclusion. To evaluate the data, the task force utilized a 3 step process for analyzing data:

1. Identify relevant literature
2. review the literature’s findings systematically
3. synthesize the findings into coherent conclusions and recommendations

After extensive research, the task 4 identified 4 meta-analyses that were sufficient; the analyses cumulatively reviewed more than 150 reports. All 4 meta-analyses detailed an adverse effect of violent video games on aggressive behavior. However, the task force went on to highlight the issues with these analyses. They found that the studies only included results for people aged 18 years and older and therefore it is hard to extrapolate that their findings apply to minors. Additionally, the task force made a point to acknowledge that the lack of consideration for gender differences in the meta-analyses makes it impossible to establish differences in effects between men and women. In light of these issues, the task force decided to review some newer literature to get a better idea as to what is really going on. After establishing a far more rigorous screening process for the studies they were to include, they settled on 31 independent studies published 2009 and on to examine. They then split these studies up into categories based on what effect(s) they measured and conducted meta-analyses on these subgroups.

In the end, the task force’s concluded that, “the research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behavior, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy and sensitivity to aggression.” Furthermore, they concluded that the effects of violent video games persist over “some time spans.” I guess that means I could still be messed up, huh? That aside, the task force still failed to find a study examining gender differences in the newer literature. Due to the fact that all of their conclusions came off the backs of meta-analyses, it is pertinent to consider the effects of the file-drawer problem; the task force should not disregard that there may be unpublished studies that failed to reject the null hypothesis.

All of the above information courtesy of the American Psychology Association Task Force on Violent Media’s Technological Report on the Review of the Violent Video Game Literature

A study that examines gender differences with regards to violent video game exposure may provide an alternative solution as to why violent video games affect individuals in the way the task force concluded. The effects of testosterone on human aggression have been highly debated in recent years, as evidenced by this article on Nature’s website. A study that measures testosterone levels in males and females before and after exposure to violent video games along with the traits analyzed by the APA’s task force may provide insight into both issues. The researchers could look for potential testosterone concentration spikes during exposure. If these spikes coincided with increased aggression at all or differently between men and women the scientists would need to be extremely careful in making sure that the the video games are not a confounding variable. There is a possibility that the video games would be causing both the testosterone spike and the increased aggression. If the researchers were to isolate each variable well enough, some conclusions may be drawn.

In the end… I’m probably still going to play violent video games because the enjoyment I gain from playing the outweighs my fear of increased aggression. However, if a certain individual is prone to violent behavior, a violent video game could act as a sort of trigger for exceptionally violent behaviors. As a result, video game manufacturers should be required to state on their packaging that the game may increase aggression. To make this more palatable to these companies it would be wise to establish violence thresholds that require such disclaimers. Ultimately, the ability of parents to use discretion is the best tool for protecting the youth and disclaimers would assist parents to do so.