A comparison of the effects of violent and non-violent video games on aggressive behaviour in adolescent males
Authors
Byrne, Caoimhe
Issue Date
2016
Degree
BA (Hons) in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
This study was conducted to compare the effects of violent and non-violent video games on aggressive behaviour in adolescent males. The aim of this study was to show whether violent video games led to aggression in adolescent males when they are working in teams. A group of adolescent males were divided, based on how skilled they were at computer games. One group played a non-aggressive game, Fifa 15, and the other played an aggressive one, Halo: Reach. Each individual carried out Buss & Perry’s aggression questionnaire, before and after they played the game. Before the participants took the final aggression questionnaire, they took part in a team building exercise where their aggressive tendencies were observed. A 2x2x4 mixed within-between ANOVA was conducted to explore the impact the games had on aggressive behaviour. Overall, no significant main effect was found for the variable group, suggesting that the nature of the video game did not significantly impact aggression scores. Similarly, no main effect for time was found, suggesting that the introduction of a video game has no impact on aggression, regardless of its degree of violence. Author keywords: Aggressive behaviour, violent video games, non-violent video games, adolescent males