Computer games and violence: Is there really a connection?

Abstract

The relationship between videogames and violent behaviour was analysed in a representative sample of 9889 Norwegian youth ageing from 13 to 18 years. Videogames were separated in eight different categories. A hypothesis of the relationship between videogames and violence was put forward as a starting – point for reasoning. A unique correlation between violent videogames, specifying first person shooters and action games, and violent behaviour was found. By controlling for age and gender, the effect of first person shooter games disappeared for youth in - between 9 th to 12 th grades, and the action videogames remained as the significant predictor. Only first person shooter was a significant predictor in 8 th grade.