title: Violent Video Games Don't Increase Hostility in Teens, but They Do Stress Girls Out.
abstract: The impact of violent video games (VVGs) on youth remains unclear given inconsistent results in past literature. Most previous experimental studies have been done with college students, not youth. The current study examined the impact of VVGs in an experimental study of teens (12-18). Participants were randomized to play either a violent or non-violent video game. Teens also reported their levels of stress and hostility both before and after video game play. Hostility levels neither decreased nor increased following violent game play, and Bayesian analyzes confirmed that results are supportive of the null hypothesis. By contrast, VVG exposure increased stress, but only for girls. The impact of VVGs on teen hostility is minimal. However, players unfamiliar with such games may find them unpleasant. These results are put into the context of Uses and Gratifications Theory with suggestions for how medical professionals should address the issue of VVG play with concerned parents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Deland, FL, 32729, USA. CJFerguson1111@aol.com.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Deland, FL, 32729, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trigani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Deland, FL, 32729, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilato
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Deland, FL, 32729, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Deland, FL, 32729, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Deland, FL, 32729, USA.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence
keywords: Adolescents; Stress; Video games; Violence