Griffiths (1999) Review of the Literature

Griffiths (1999) conducted a review of literature on already published studies on how violent video games are responsible for aggression. Video games have raised concern due to association with violence. Studies have been carried out over the last fifteen years. The article reviews empirical studies, the research approaches, observations, self-reports and experimental studies. Griffiths (1999) establishes the methodological problems in the published researches, including on the short-term measures resulting from aggressive consequences. The studies reveal that young ones are more hostile when exposed to video games than teenagers. Several methods have been used in this case study. Self-report method was used to measure aggression. One of the studies by Lin and Lepper (1987) reported a positive connection between games, aggressiveness and impulsiveness among 4 th and 6 th grade male students (Griffiths, 1999). Dominick (1984), administered a questionnaire among 10 th and 11 th grade boys and it illustrated that there was nonsignificant correlation between aggression and video games. Several experimental studies were conducted. Winkel, Novak, and Hopson (1987) used 8 th grade teenagers and found out that vicious video games did not instill hostility among the players. It was a short-term study and the researchers concluded by indicating that the video games may influence the behavior of a child, and not aggression. Lightdale and Prentice (1994) conducted a study on how video games affected different sexes (Griffiths, 1999) . It was established that men are normally more aggressive than women. In addition, increasing hostility such as raising the temperature in a room increased aggression levels. Observational studies were done to examine behavioral variances in children after engaging in aggressive video games. The process would be done by observing. Cooper and Mackie (1986) observed 9-10 years old playing and watching hostile video games in a toy room. They established that boys were unaffected while the aggression levels in the girls increased. Other studies such as projective tests and case studies were done to determine aggression levels in children. A study by Graybill et al. (1985) indicated children had defensive fantasies developed from violent video games. Several designs were used in the study. These were self-reports, experimental studies, observational studies, and other researches such as case studies and projective tests. The designs used were comparing cases of boys and girls and how they reacted to watching or playing video games. Observation was used to establish how behavior changed after watching the violent video games. Self-reports involved recording what happened to children playing violent games. Another approach involved increasing the room temperature and observing whether it would affect behavior of children playing the video games. Theoretical issue has been raised in this study. Theory shows that video games cause aggressive tendencies in children, a case predicted by social learning theory. The catharsis theory also indicate that the video games release aggressive tendencies. Theories such as Bandura (1986) postulate that children tend to emulate what they see on the video games (Griffiths, 1999). Catharsis theory, on the other hand, would indicate that playing the games causes a relaxing effect on the children (Griffiths, 1999). Therefore, these theories create a controversy on the exact impact of playing violent video games among young ones. A series of studies conducted currently indicate that hostile video games have aggressive factor on children. 

Conclusion 

The studies used in this article measure only the short-term aggression impacts of playing or watching vicious video games. Most of the studies indicate that very young children exhibit violent behavior when compared to teenagers. The studies, however, rise the questions of determining whether effects of video games change with age or they are constant. Video games have both negative and positive effects on children and when the adverse effects are reduced, children benefit. 

Reference 

Griffiths, M. (1999). Violent video games and aggression: A review of the literature.  Aggression and violent behavior ,  4 (2), 203-212.