Published Paper Details:

Video games have become one of the favorite activities of children in America. Growing bodies of research links violent video game play to aggressive cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors. This study tested the predictions that exposure to violent video game content is (1) positively correlated with hostile attribution bias, (2) positively correlated with arguments with teachers and physical fights, and negatively correlated with school performance, and (3) positively correlated with hostility. 607 8th and 9th-grade students from four schools participated. Each prediction was supported. Youth who expose themselves to greater amounts of video game violence see the world as a more hostile place, are more hostile themselves, get into arguments with teachers more frequently, are more likely to be involved in physical fights, and perform more poorly in school. Video game violence exposure is a significant predictor of physical fights even when respondent sex, hostility level, and weekly amount of game play are statistically controlled. It is suggested that video game violence is a risk factor for aggressive behavior. The results also suggest that parental involvement in video game play may act as a protective factor for youth. Results are interpreted within and support the framework of the General Aggression Model.