Clinicians’ attitudes toward video games vary as a function of age, gender and negative beliefs about youth: A sociology of media research approach

Ferguson, Christopher J.

doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.016

Cited by 42 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(38 reference statements)

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“…Older people that did not play games hold significantly more negative beliefs towards violence in games (Przybylski, 2014). Two further studies found this to be true also for clinicians who work with children and families (Ferguson, 2015a), as well as scholars (Ferguson & Colwell, 2017). Interestingly not only age and experience, but hostile attitudes toward youth themselves predicted negative beliefs about violent video games, findings the authors argued support Moral Panic Theory.…”

Section: Perception Of Games Effects and Playerssupporting

confidence: 53%

You Could Have Just Asked: The Perception of Motivations to Play Violent Video Games

Kneer

Jacobs

Ferguson³

2018

SMC

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Recent research has found that age and playing experience moderates people"s opinions regarding video games" negative effects while the perception of the cause of game play -game play motivation -was not considered so far. This study investigated how age and playing expertise influence perceived game play motivations. A survey was performed on a sample of mixed age (N = 374). Categories found for perceived playing motivations for violent video games were: virtual aggression, fun/challenge, catharsis, boredom, and social. Fun/challenge was found to be the main motivations for both, non-players and players. However, age positively and playing experience negatively predicted the importance of the perceived motivation virtual aggression while the opposite pattern was found for fun/challenge. The discussion focuses on: 1.) How we should deal with such in-and out-group perceptions in game studies, 2.) how beliefs about player motivations influence further perceptions, and 3.) the necessity of understanding how society"s perception of games can influence game science itself.

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Section: Perception Of Games Effects and Playerssupporting

confidence: 53%

You Could Have Just Asked: The Perception of Motivations to Play Violent Video Games

Kneer

Jacobs

Ferguson³

2018

SMC

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“…For instance, one might reasonably agree that media violence causes increase in very mild forms of aggression, but that these do not represent a problem for society or contribute to youth violence. Results on clinicians by Ferguson () likewise found that a majority disagreed with linking video game violence to youth assaults. Figure presents current data on scholarly consensus on media violence effects.…”

Section: A Brief History Of Video Game Debatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These generational divides can appear in the form of age differences in regards to attitudes toward new media. Among both clinicians (Ferguson, ) and the general public (Przybylski, ), age is a strong predictor of negative attitudes about video games. In fairness, biases may work in both directions with younger people defensive about their hobby (Kneer, Munko, Glock, & Bente, ), just as older people may be reflexively hostile toward it.…”

Section: A Brief History Of Video Game Debatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Why Scholars Hold Different Views on the Influences of Video Games on Public Health

Ferguson

Colwell

2017

J Commun

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Despite decades of research, no scholarly consensus has been achieved regarding the potential impact of video games on youth aggression or other public health concerns. In recent years, hypotheses have been raised that scholarly opinions on video games may resemble past moral panics, with attitudes reflective of generational conflicts. These hypotheses are tested in a sample of 175 criminologists, psychologists, and media scholars, examining both overall negative attitudes about video games and perceived linkages with youth assaults specifically. Results reflected continued lack of scholarly consensus on the issue of video game influences with only 15.3% of scholars endorsing the view that violent video games contribute to youth assaults. As hypothesized, older scholars endorsed more negative views of video games generally, although this appeared to be related to experience with games rather than age per se. Scholars with more negative attitudes toward youth themselves were also more negative about games. Criminologists and media scholars were more skeptical of violent video games contributing to youth assaults than were psychologists. These results are discussed in relation to Moral Panic Theory.

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“…Interestingly, by the time scholars began to reexamine evidence for consensus beginning in the 2010s, that degree of agreement had largely evaporated. Indeed, surveys of scholars began to lean more toward skepticism, with various surveys finding that only approximately 10-39.5% (Ferguson 2015b, Ferguson & Colwell 2017, Quandt et al 2015 of scholars and clinicians agreed that media or video game violence could contribute to societal aggression or violence. Some scholars associated with antimedia advocacy (e.g., Bushman et al 2015) tried to claim a consensus anyway, although these efforts were subsequently criticized for being misleading (e.g., Etchells & Chambers 2014.…”

Section: Scholarly Viewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some scholars associated with antimedia advocacy (e.g., Bushman et al 2015) tried to claim a consensus anyway, although these efforts were subsequently criticized for being misleading (e.g., Etchells & Chambers 2014. Agree there is a causal relationship between exposure to violent media and aggression (Bushman et al 2015) Agree violence in the media is a major factor in real-life violence (Bushman et al 2015) Clinicians who work with youth who agree violent video games cause youth violence (Ferguson 2015b) Scholars who agree violent video games cause youth assaults (Ferguson & Colwell 2017) Agree the effects of digital games on aggression are a problem for society (Quandt et al 2015) Agreement among scholars and clinicians (%)…”

Section: Scholarly Viewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Violent Video Games, Sexist Video Games, and the Law: Why Can't We Find Effects?

Ferguson

2018

Annu. Rev. Law. Soc. Sci.

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During the early 2000s, several states and municipalities sought to regulate minors’ access to violent video games owing to perceived harms to minors. The resultant case law, culminating in the US Supreme Court case Brown v. EMA (2011), demonstrated court skepticism of the science linking violent games to harm in minors. Such skepticism was increasingly confirmed as numerous newer studies could not link violent games to socially relevant outcomes. In more recent years, there has been a newer focus on sexist games and the harm these might cause. This field appears at risk for repeating some of the problems of the violent game field, including exaggeration of mixed findings, lack of curiosity regarding null findings, and unreliable research designs. By persisting in advancing a narrative of public health crisis, despite evidence to the contrary, social science has risked damaging its reputation in the eyes of the courts.

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Clinicians’ attitudes toward video games vary as a function of age, gender and negative beliefs about youth: A sociology of media research approach

Cited by 42 publications

References 25 publications

You Could Have Just Asked: The Perception of Motivations to Play Violent Video Games

You Could Have Just Asked: The Perception of Motivations to Play Violent Video Games

Understanding Why Scholars Hold Different Views on the Influences of Video Games on Public Health

Violent Video Games, Sexist Video Games, and the Law: Why Can't We Find Effects?

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