title: The American Psychological Association Task Force assessment of violent video games: Science in the service of public interest.
abstract: A task force of experts was convened by the American Psychological Association (APA) to update the knowledge and policy about the impact of violent video game use on potential adverse outcomes. This APA Task Force on Media Violence examined the existing literature, including the meta-analyses in the field, since the last APA report on media violence in 2005. Because the most recent meta-analyses were published in 2010 and reflected work through 2009, the task force conducted a search of the published studies from 2009-2013. These recently published articles were scored and assessed by a systematic evidentiary review, followed by a meta-analysis of the high utility studies, as documented in the evidentiary review. Consistent with the literature that we reviewed, we found that violent video game exposure was associated with: an increased composite aggression score; increased aggressive behavior; increased aggressive cognitions; increased aggressive affect, increased desensitization, and decreased empathy; and increased physiological arousal. The size of the effects was similar to that in prior meta-analyses, suggesting a stable result. Our task force concluded that violent video game use is a risk factor for adverse outcomes, but found insufficient studies to examine any potential link between violent video game use and delinquency or criminal behavior. Our technical report is the basis of this article. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Children's Digital Media Center, Georgetown University.
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Calvert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Appelbaum
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Policy and Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University.
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dodge
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, University of California Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Center on Diversity and Community, University of Oregon.
authors.forename: Gordon C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Nagayama Hall
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of the South.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamby
authors.affiliation: Children, Youth, and Families Office, American Psychological Association.
authors.forename: Lauren G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Fasig-Caldwell
authors.affiliation: American Institutes for Research.
authors.forename: Martyna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Citkowicz
authors.affiliation: Children, Youth, and Families Office, American Psychological Association.
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Department of Psychology, Institute for Policy Research.
authors.forename: Larry V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Hedges
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D012919:Social Behavior; D012958:Societies, Scientific; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*