Fed: Computer games not to blame for aggression, study finds

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-1999
Fed: Computer games not to blame for aggression, study finds

By Stephen Spencer

CANBERRA, Dec 3 AAP - Parents can relax. Video and computer games don't cause aggression,
ruin family life or harm schoolwork, a four-year study revealed today.

The study, commissioned by federal, state and territory attorneys-general, found 94
per cent of teenagers played computer or video games at least once a year.

But despite fears the aggressive and highly interactive nature of the games could cause
behavioural problems, the study found they did not cause aggression, ruin family life,
impair school performance or cause health problems.

The study also concluded that the games are not addictive.

In fact it found the games could be beneficial in teaching children cognitive and spacial
skills and in encouraging them to use computers.

The study was conducted in two ways - by observing players in video arcades, and by
interviewing players.

The study's authors, Kevin Durkin and Kate Aisbett, said observations recorded at video
arcades found players showed high levels of enjoyment when playing the games, but with
very little overt aggression.

"The main type of aggression was robust treatment of the equipment," they reported.

Young people interviewed in focus groups said computer games could be addictive when
they were new, but this soon waned.

"The predominant motives for game play, among young people and adults, are enjoyment,
diversion, and challenge," the report found.

"These are psychologically healthy motives, common to many leisure activities.

"There is little reason to believe that the activity itself should be a cause for concern,
and little evidence that it is a major source of anxiety within the community."

However this assurance was not necessarily shared by parents, even though children
were often more aware of the violent nature of some games than they were.

"About 28 per cent of parents say they have stopped their children from playing games
they judged to be too violent," it found.

"About 21 per cent of young people report that they have chosen to stop playing because
the content was perceived as too violent."

The study confirms computer games are still more likely to be played by males (68 per
cent) than females (48 per cent), although the figures are a lot closer for teenagers
- 98 per cent of boys compared with 89 per cent of girls.

And despite the finding that the games don't lead to aggression, fighting games were
the most popular, followed by driving games, adventure, strategy and children's games.

AAP ss/pjs

KEYWORD: GAMES

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