Learning and Skills development: November 2009

Literature review

There seems to ne alot of speculation as to whether violent video games is connected to the increase in a individuals aggression levels.

Anderson and Dill (2000) propose that “exposure to violent video games can increase aggressive behaviour”. To create this hypothesis they conducted two studies to show the effects of violent video games in real life and in laboratory scenarios. From these studies they concluded that playing the violent games over a number of years can increase aggression in real life, and that playing against someone else can also increase aggressive behaviour. This conclusion is supported by Amanda Schaffer (2007) as she states that by playing a game for year is likely to make the player more aggressive than when they started.

Amanda also points out in her article that Anderson also says that the violent games may also encourage players “to rehearse aggressive solutions to conflict” as these processes have become available to them. Gee (2003) claims that violence and video has been exaggerated as he says that wars are shown on television. Bandura’s Social learning theory (1966) claims that aggression is learned through the observation of others and copying their actions, this theory supports both Anderson’s point and Gee’s saying that people may observe anybodies actions and want to repeat whether they are on the TV or in a video game.

On the other hand Simon Hill (2009) states that multiplayer online games are a “escape from reality” he also says however that some people get into their game characters so much that it can seep in to society.