Strengths and Weaknesses of the Studies That Associate Violent Acts with Playing Video Games (Essay Sample)

Name Course Lecturer Date Strengths and Weaknesses of the Studies That Associate Violent Acts with Playing Video Games Strength of the Studies The findings from various studies on violent video games revealed that VVGs influences aggression behaviour, helping behaviour, aggressive cognition, physiological arousal and aggressive effect (Anderson 114). Ferguson while reviewing 101 studies on VVGs noted that violent video games had some impact on children’s aggression, their helping behaviour, mood and grades (2). Other studies have successfully linked the use of VVGs to the reduction in socially desirable behaviour; for instance, empathy, pro-social behaviour, and moral engagement that can influence the person to commit violent acts (American Psychological Association 2). However, other studies have found that the rise in the popularity of VVGs, has contributed to the reduction in the youth violence (Ferguson 3). The VVGs research processes rely on the meta-analysis procedure which requires the researcher to include all the available studies on the topic despite the methodologies that were used in conducting the studies (Anderson 114). The requirement strengthens the meta-analysis process that then reduces the researcher’s bias on the subject. Weaknesses of the Studies The VVGs studies are subject to publication bias during data collection. For instance, Ferguson research included only information published in peer-reviewed journals (312). Again, some studies do not establish a direct causal relationship that playing video games leads to increased short-term aggression (Ferguson 309). Literature that explores VVGs is less compared to the literature on violent movies and television. The less available studies on VVGs reduce the strength of the meta-analysis process making some of the studies biased (Anderson 115). Also, the research studies on VVGs are less funded by the government; also, VVGs is a new phenomenon that is yet to attract more interests in research groups (Anderson 114). The aggression behaviour in most of the studies in VVGs relies on the modified Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Test (TCRTT) where it becomes difficult to differentiate the conduct of the participant as aggressive or competitive (Adachi and Willoughby 60). Hence, it is challenging to measure aggression instead of the competitiveness of the participants. Again, the studies involving modified TCRTT have not been conducted uniformly; various studies use TCRTT in multiple ways, making it difficult to compare the studies in the domain (Adachi and Willoughby 61). The VVGs studies involve many variables that cannot be all factored in a single study; this can lead to wrong conclusions. For instance, studies show that non-violent video games can also lead to aggressive behaviour, the complexity of the video game, its competitiveness, and the pace of the action while playing can influence the results of the studies (Ferguson et al. 400). Violence acts can be caused by various factors such as mental illnesses; Ferguson believes that mental illnesses are easily associated with violent acts than VVGs; hence, studies that try to establish the link between VVGs and violent actions may work under the assumptions ...