Introduction
The issue of violence has been rampart in society today. Explanations of the same have linked it to the influence of the media. This has created controversies due to the inadequacy of the research and inconclusiveness since some researchers believe that the effects of aggression especially in children are as a result of media, while others blame it on social factors. Aggressiveness is more of a perception and attitude rather than behaviour and research carried out to ascertain that is abundant (Brudvig, 2010).
Research Objective
The main objective of this study is to undertake a content analysis of the influence of playing video games on the attitude of aggressiveness among children.
Research Hypothesis
Playing videogames influences the attitude of aggressiveness among children
Background Information
The world today is characterised by increased rates of crime. Most crimes have been blamed on social and economic issues such as unemployment and moral degradation. In essence, violence has been rampart in all backgrounds, creating the need for research on the same. The basic objective of stakeholders in dealing with these issues is to address the underlying motivators of violence. A variety of controversies in research arise with some researchers asserting that there is a correlation between crime and violence to video and other violent-based technological games. On the other hand, some researchers believe that crime and violence cannot be associated with social video games with the argument that pro-social games do not also have a significant positive impact (Fiske 1982). The research on the effect of videogames increasing aggressiveness is interesting and its need cannot be overlooked or undermined. This project examines aggressiveness on the basis of attitude and outlines the effects of playing video games associated with it in the short and long term effects that include crime-related issues. It is based on influences of media on aggression as an attitude and perception.
Hughes (2006) outlines researches that have been done on the adverse effects of violent video and computer games on the attitudes and behaviours of children and adult especially on aggressively. The researches outlined include the existence of a violent cycle where aggressiveness was increased while there was reduction in empathy with increased playing of violent video games. The effects ranged from increased physical arousal in terms of blood pressure and heart rate with those in the short term of exposure to violent media increasing with age while the effects of the same in the long term were high on children. There were higher risks and effects of violent video games on the young children and the youth regardless of their backgrounds. There was increased aggression in behaviour from playing violent games due to increased aggressive thoughts as well as changes in personality factors and cognitive instincts as a result of aggression from repeated exposure to violence related video games. The gender differences on the effects of violent video games are significant while other studies suggest that behaviour that is exploitive in social interactions is promoted and motivation undermined due to continuance play of violent video games.
The researches outlined by Hughes (2006) are challenged by the facts that there is evidence of differences in impact on individuals with confessions of non-violent behaviour traits by lovers and long term users of violent video games. Critics of the research believe that the issue of degree of violence is subjective and that ratings are ineffective. Ferguson (2009) is of the argument that crime and aggression should not be equated to the violent nature of video games. In his assertion, he argues on the basis of inadequacy and unreliability of researches done. He claims that the researches cannot be relied upon due to the fact that the pro-social games advocated for do not help in improving the behaviours especially of young children and the youth.
Kooijmans (2004) suggests “a General Aggression Model in the explanation of aggression development and susceptibility of individual differences to the violent video games influence,” (p. 1). According to Kooijmans (2004), the aggression effects are highest during adolescence because of the reinforcement of violent media thus increasing cognition of aggressiveness. Contrary to the negative effects of violent video games, he suggests that it has positive influences in enhancing eye and hand coordination, therapeutic benefits of relaxation and soothing and improving the efficiency and application of simulations through research. Kooijmans (2004) and many other researches are not conclusive because of the wide scope of the field area and thus more insight and depth are their suggestions to increase the reliability of the research and as a result forge the way forward for policy makers, parents, governments, and the entire community.
The reports from past researches show a summary of the researches done on the influences of media on aggressive behaviour in children and their applicability. Martinez (1992) outlines a report on scientific researches on the influence of media to violence. The challenges stipulated are the large number of researches done on media and its influence on violence and aggression which tend to be contradictory and inconclusive. The report reveals the issues of methodological problems linked to the measurement instruments used in violence, result interpretation in terms of the intensity and nature of linkage between the variables and factors or processes in the explanation of symbolic violence effects. These include emotional, physiological, individual, cognitive, genetic, and instinctive among others.
Critics of the researches on the influence of media on aggression and violence are numerous. Gauntlett (1998) provides ten reasons supporting his view that the effects model is not conclusive and true. He asserts that the approach used in research is backwards where the media begins and then the problems in society are linked to it. In this case the reference point is based on actual violence perpetrators rather than the media. In his view, children are treated as being inadequate while the characterization of the effects model assumptions is by conservative ideologies that are concealed. He believes that the model had inadequate definition of its own study objects with consistent use of artificial studies as a base. Gauntlett argues on the misapplication of methods of research, selective media criticism and assumptions of superiority in relation to the masses. Past researches have always been criticized and termed unreliable. Reliability of the past researches is normally compromised due to their inconclusiveness. However, recent researches by IOWA State University have come up. Professor Anderson (2010), one of the people actively involved in the research asserts that it is conclusive that the aggressiveness in children is due to the aggressive nature of the video games they engage in. This research shows that the effects of aggression due to violent media are similar irrespective of culture or disposition. They believe that the effect differences in age are not conclusive and adequate though it is still evident hence the need to additional research.
Gauntlett’s (1995) research is based on the attitudes and perceptions of the people especially children as a result of video games, TV and computer games. He reveals interviews with children on a film pulp Fiction. In this case he shows that TV programmes and games have a generation of excitement, style and images on the players. The values of the video games or programmes depict the points of view of the children. The study shows that there is a correlation between the aggression aspects and violent behaviour from the media due to the values elevated and story line or messages of the media. The manner the characters are presented and how they carry themselves around affects the perceptions of the viewers. Most video games are of violent nature due to the value systems of murder, power, wealth and winning regardless of the impact. This build-up of effects spills over to real life situations. This is further encouraged by the fact that many after-school hours are spent on these media thus forming a large part of their learning due to limited interactions with other forms of learning.
Gauntlett (1995) reveals that the relation of violent media to violence is due to emphasis on personal victory, personal enjoyment from other people’s pain and suffering which in turn lowers humanitarian responses and perceptions of dangerous circumstances, violence glorification rather than strength and belief system that aggression forms its own final reaction where it is perceived that aggression is the best response in dealing with aggressive situations. The study of Gauntlett further shows that peer influence plays a big role in this and thus age difference can cause substantial difference in this kind of research. Gauntlett asserts that building up of value systems in children with reference to violent media is difficult because of its proven success in handling situations and lack of other ways of dealing with it.
Sample
The issue of aggression and violent video games is diverse and dynamic with the evidence of individual differences. The sample size has to be adequate enough to cater for these eventualities and cater for the factor of objectivity so that the research can be reliable. The sample needs to be inclusive with emphasis on youths and adolescents. This is because this target group are the most susceptible to the effects of aggression because of their heavy usage of video games.
In carrying out this research, computer games, TV programmes and video games will be the media to use. This is because of the increased use of the same especially by children. Research in this case will rely on related media such as computer games that are recent in terms of 2007 to date. The nature of violence is based on reports of the violent nature of the media in question.
The sample of the violent video and computer games will be based on God of War and Red Dead Redemption. God of war is an adventure full of action and has series of versions and new developments up to version 3. It has been rated among the most violent video games (Bunuel, 2009). Red Dead Redemption is a mission story with the aim of creating honour and fame. This causes enemies to attack the player. The player is able to violently fight and overcome the opponents. The game has increased in popularity due to its ability of high size of multiplayer suite. It has high criticism because of violence, blood, nudity, power, and emphasis on personal victory.
The sample encompasses 20 children of the age of 12 years selected from schools of high and low cost housing. The sample is small since the research involved requires in-depth study that can only be adequately carried out with a small sample. This small sample allows for the use of multiple methods and close interaction of the participants. The children of 12 years are relevant in this research because they lie in between early childhood and adolescence and hence not affected by the increased aggression associated with adolescence and are able to form reliable attitudes and perceptions from video games unlike younger children. This category of children forms perceptions easily because of their keen interest in their environment. They also lead in the category of usage of video and computer games (Gauntlett, 1995).
Operationalization
The hypothesis statement “playing videogames influences the attitude of aggressiveness among children” can be operationalized in a number of ways.
Videogames in this study refer to seemingly aggressive video games specifically God of War and Red Dead Redemption.
Playing video games will be operationalized by the number of hours the participants spend each day playing these two video games.
Attitude will be operationalized by the perceptions the participants gain toward the two video games after playing them. The attitudes used in the study will be limited to the perception of characters perceived as “cool”. The degree of coolness will range from 0 to 3: coolest (3), very cool (2), cool (1), and not cool (0).
Aggressiveness will be operationalized by the number of times the participants either talk of or show signs of violence, blood, suggestive talk, enemy, death, fame and fighting.
Unitisation
The recording unit in this research is the analysis of aggressive attitudes and perceptions. The units would involve analysing the perceptions on the basis of violence, death, enemy, fame, fighting, coolness and blood. The context unit in this case is 20 school children of a comprehensive that is large who are aged 12 years.
Reliability Test Report
The test to be carried out is the content analysis of two video games, that is, God of war and Red Dead Redemption. The test involves interviewing of 20 young children aged 12 years to assess their attitudes and perceptions on aggressiveness respect to the video games played. The sample used in this case is a sub sample of young children aged 12 years. The sample used is of children from a comprehensive school of a large size and are selected from medium and low cost housing. A middle class area is the location of the school which has a high reputation locally and is ordered well. This research involves group interviews and individual interviews. The video game; God of war had been popular with developments in 2005 and further introductions of versions 2 & 3. Red dead redemption being new in the market has experienced increased number of viewers and curiosity. The interviews conducted involved showing of photographs from two scenes in each of the video games. The children were then asked to put themselves in the place of the player and write down the continuation of the game. The children were then given questionnaires to fill. The questions asked were:
- How many times have you played God of Wars and Red Dead Redemption?
- Who do you perceive to be coolest in the game?
- What makes her or him the coolest?
- Who is the next coolest and why?
- Who is the least cool in the game and why?
- What is the lesson learnt in the game?
- What do you associate the game with?
This was done through discussions on the questions on the questionnaire. This created opportunity for re-interviewing some of the children in following up in view of the development of points made (Neuedorf 2002).
Coding scheme
The coding of the responses was on the basis of percentage of the research elements (Winston 1990). The recording units to be analysed related to the degree of violence, coolness, blood, suggestive talk, enemy, death, fame and fighting. The coding process involving number of students includes; frequency of watching, involvement in violence-related activities and humanitarian acts.
Reliability Test
Out of the photographs presented to the children, they had to identify instances of; violence, blood, enemy, fighting, fame, death and coolness. The test also tested the attributes of the children related to the pictures.
Inter-coder reliability
The reliability of this research requires inter-coder tests done. The research is in-depth as to the perceptions and attitudes of aggression on the basis of the media. However, it is not possible to form a valid conclusion since the sample is small and does not satisfy the condition N=8. This however can be further developed with the inclusion of a wider sample size (Weber 1990).
Conclusion
The dynamic nature of media influences to a great deal the perceptions of the people especially children. This research and evidence from other researchers and scholars show that there is an influence of aggression by the media specifically violent video games. In this paper we have focused on analysis of aggression as an attitude and perception rather than behaviour with much reliance on past studies and trends in the media industry.
Reference List
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Brudvig, E 2010, Red dead redemption review: Bringing the wild back to the west.
Bunuel, D 2009, Decapitation, exploding chests & more: 24 of the most violent video games ever.
Ferguson, C 2009, Researcher disputes study equating violent games with aggression.
Fiske, J 1982, Introduction to Communication Studies, Routledge, London.
Gauntlett, D 1995, Moving Experiences: Understanding Television’s Influences and Effects, John Libbey, London.
Gauntlett, D 1998, Ten things wrong with the effects model, Arnold, London.
Hughes, S 2006, Computer violence and our children.
Kooijmans, T 2004, Effects of video games on aggressive thoughts and behaviours during development.
Martinez, A 1992, Scientific knowledge about TV Violence.
Neuedorf, K 2002, The content Analysis Guidebook, Sage Publications, London.
Weber, R 1990, Basic Content Analysis, Sage Publications, Newbury Park.
Winston, B 1990, ‘On counting the wrong things’, in M Alvarado & J Thompson (eds), The Media Reader, BFI, London.