Video games: Are they harming us or helping us?

Jesse Diggins, Psychologist

With an estimated 90% of children and adolescents playing video games (Lenhart et al.2008), the impacts that video games have on users is a fierce and ongoing debate in academic literature. There is a wealth of literature that reveals that there are both positive and negative outcomes associated with gaming. 

Positive Impacts

Some academics hold the perspective that gaming is a modern form of play and should be considered as a contemporary means of psychosocial development. With the increasing social connectivity built into modern video games, playing online provides an opportunity to connect and cooperate with peers. Social connection is an often cited as a positive outcome for users. Yet, researchers have discovered various other benefits too. ​

Playing ‘shooter’ games has been shown to promote some specific cognitive skills. This is likely to do with the visually rich environments and rapid attentional demands within modern games. Recent literature has shown that ‘shooter’ video games have been associated with enhanced attention allocation and enhanced spatial abilities (Green & Bavelier, 2012; Uttal et al., 2013). These cognitive benefits remained over time and generalized to other contexts. Gamers that are strong in these cognitive skills are advantaged academically in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) (Wai, Lubinski, Benbow, & Steiger, 2010). ​

Another - admittedly more speculative - area of benefit relates to motivation. A recent study (Ventura et al., 2013) found that the extent of video game use significantly predicted how long participants would demonstrate persistence in attempting to solve difficult puzzles.

Many psychologists and educators are familiar with Carol Dweck’s seminal ‘Growth Mindset’ philosophy which posits that persistence and continual effort are key to success (Dweck & Molden, 2005). The finding by Ventura and colleagues (2013) links to the ideas purported by Dweck and is particularly interesting in light of the popularity of the recently released videogame, Fornite.

In Fortnite, success involves outlasting other players. With the likelihood of winning being small, a substantial amount of persistence and determination is required for players who seek to win. Some researchers speculate that players of video games, such as Fortnite, can develop a ‘persistent motivational style’ which may have beneficial generalized effects in school or work contexts. Though this relationship is merely correlational and needs further empirical evidence. ​

A final benefit, which is more robustly researched, is that of social benefits. Research has found that video game players can develop prosocial skills when they play games that are designed to reward effective cooperation, support, and helping behaviours (Ewoldsen et al., 2012).

​The critical dimension that seems to determine whether video games are associated with helping and prosocial behaviour is the extent to which they are played cooperatively versus competitively.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS

A day spent searching for research papers debating the negative impacts of gaming would yield dozens of papers with wide ranging and opposing findings. Thankfully, we have meta-analyses. Meta-analyses are a type of research review that combines the findings of many other studies. Further, we have great research bodies that do meta-analyses of other meta-analyses, combining the results of hundreds of individual studies.

​One such research body is the American Psychological Association who has recently released a major review of research into the impact of violent video games. To conduct their review, the APA contacted approximately 130 of the most frequently published researchers and experts in the field of gaming and requested nominations of the 10 strongest empirically based studies on this topic. This process yielded four meta-analyses which took into account more than 150 individual studies. ​

The review produced robust evidence that violent video game exposure was associated with increased aggressive behavior and increased aggressive thoughts. The review also clearly evidenced that video game exposure produced desensitization to violence and decreased empathy. The review concluded that violent video game use is a risk factor for adverse outcomes. ​

There are also factors that have been found to influence and interact with the development of aggression in gamers. Some researchers have suggested that it is the competitive features of certain games that produce the aggressive effects (Adachi & Willoughby, 2011). As mentioned above, this is contrary to cooperative games that can have prosocial benefits. ​

Past research has identified a number of risk factors that can moderate and influence the development of aggression, such as: pre-existing aggressive traits, low socioeconomic status, harsh parental discipline practices and experiences of peer rejection and bullying (Dodge, Coie, & Lynam, 2006; Herrenkohl et al., 2000). The APA review was able to determine that in the majority of studies, even after these factors were controlled for, violent video games still independently predicted aggression. Existing research suggests that higher amounts of exposure are associated with higher levels of aggression and other adverse outcomes. The conclusions of the APA review relate to children, adolescents and young adults. ​

This is far from an exhaustive list of outcomes that result from gaming. The intention of this paper is to inform the public of a range of valid findings from either side of the debate. ​

SUMMARY POINTS

Positives include:

• Increased social connection
• Gaming being a ‘modern form of play’
• Enhanced attentional and spatial abilities
• Potentially enhanced motivation and persistence on other tasks
• Prosocial skills if games are cooperative

Negatives include (restricted to games which are of a violent nature):

• Increased aggressive thoughts and behaviour
• Decreased empathy
• Desensitization to violence
• The above outcomes are more likely to develop if gamers have pre-existing aggressive traits, live in low SES status, have experienced bullying or harsh discipline from parents

REFERENCES

Calvert, S. L., Appelbaum, M., Dodge, K. A., Graham, S., Nagayama Hall, G. C., Hamby, S., ... &     Hedges, L. V. (2017). The American Psychological Association Task Force assessment of     violent video games: Science in the service of public interest. American     Psychologist, 72(2), 126.

Dodge, K. A., Coie, J. D., & Lynam, D. (2006). Aggression and antisocial behavior in youth. In N.     Eisenberg, W. Damon, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3.     Social, emotional, and personality development (6th ed., pp. 719–788). Hoboken, NJ:     Wiley.

Dweck, C. S., & Molden, D. C. (2005). Self-theories: Their impact on competence motivation and     acquisition. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation     (pp. 122–140) New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American     psychologist, 69(1), 66

Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2012). Learning, attentional control, and action video games.     Current Biology, 22, 197–206. doi:10.1016/j.cub .2012.02.012
Herrenkohl, T. I., Maguin, E., Hill, K. G., Hawkins, J. D., Abbott, R. D., & Catalano, R. F. (2000).     Developmental risk factors for youth violence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 24, 176–    186.

Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A. R., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, video     games, and civics: Teens’ gaming experiences are diverse and include significant social     interaction and civic engagement. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from     the Pew Internet & American Life Project website: http://www.pewinternet.org/     Reports/2008/Teens-Video-Games-and-Civics.aspx

Uttal, D. H., Meadow, N. G., Tipton, E., Hand, L. L., Alden, A. R., Warren, C., & Newcombe, N. S.     (2013). The malleability of spatial skills: A meta-analysis of training studies.     Psychological Bulletin, 139, 352– 402. doi:10.1037/a0028446

Ventura, M., Shute, V., & Zhao, W. (2013). The relationship between video game use and a     performance-based measure of persistence. Computers & Education, 60, 52–58.     doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.07 .003
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Wai, J., Lubinski, D., Benbow, C. P., & Steiger, J. H. (2010). Accomplishment in science,     technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and its relation to STEM educational     dose: A 25-year longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102, 860 – 871.     doi: 10.1037/a0019454

​Jesse Diggins is a Hopscotch & Harmony psychologist who works closely with children, teens and parents to make sense of emotions and challenging behaviour. He has been recognised at local and state levels for his counselling work and his passion to empower young people and enable them to flourish. You can make an appointment with Jesse at Hopscotch & Harmony's Belmont practice by clicking here. ​