Playing highly competitive video games may lead to aggessive behavior
The truth is in the hot sauce
Competitiveness – not violence – might be the main video game characteristic that influences aggression, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
In a series of experiments in which video games were matched on competitiveness, difficulty, and pace of action, researchers found video game violence alone did not elevate aggressive behavior. However, more competitive games produced greater levels of aggressive behavior than less competitive games, no matter how much violence was in the games, according to research published online in Psychology of Violence™. The study was conducted by lead author Paul J.C. Adachi, M.A., a PhD candidate at Brock University in Canada.