Children prefer different genres depending on their nature and other characteristics. But the games themselves do not make them more cruel.
Children and teenagers enjoy spending their free time playing video games. Some genres, including fighting games or shooters, focus on violent battles or gunfights. But does this kind of content influence aggression in gamers? A new study by scientists from the Czech Republic has shown that there is no connection between the two.
The researchers wanted to find out whether violent games increase aggression levels or whether teenagers choose such games because they are already inclined toward such behavior. To investigate this, the scientists conducted a study involving several thousand children from the Czech Republic. Initially, there were 3,010 volunteers, but by the fourth wave, the number had decreased to 1,052 people.
From June 2020 to December 2022, the researchers measured aggression in teenagers using a special questionnaire. They also assessed empathy levels and identified favorite games, determining the amount of violence based on ratings from the organization Common Sense Media. Among the most popular hits were Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, Brawl Stars, and various parts of the GTA series.
The results showed that teenagers who preferred violent games scored slightly higher on cognitive empathy (the ability to understand others’ emotions) as well as verbal and physical aggression in the questionnaire. However, an increase or decrease in violence in the games during the study did not have a significant impact on the scores. As the psychologists noted, this means that violent content is not a direct cause of increased aggression.
At the same time, the researchers found that volunteers who showed increased empathy by the third survey were spending less time playing violent video games by the final data collection stage. There are also other interesting findings. Participants who exhibited increased physical aggression during the third wave of the study preferred more violent games by the fourth stage. Conversely, if a higher level of aggression was observed in the first wave, by the second stage, the volunteers were more interested in calmer games.
The authors of the study pointed out a nuance regarding the level of violence in games. The researchers determined this based on appropriate ratings. However, the amount of such content can depend on the gamer themselves and their style of play. For example, this is relevant for sandbox projects with an open world, like Minecraft, where one can fight monsters or focus solely on building various structures.
Earlier, scientists from Norway reported that Fortnite makes people happier. The popular game helps to expand social circles.