It emerges that beyond the positive didactic side of games, violent examples of the media can sometimes promote aggressive behaviour as well, that's that the finding of a new study undertaken by Iowa State University psychology professor Douglas Gentile and his father, retired psychology professor J. Ronald Gentile.

"We know a lot about how to be an effective teacher, and we know a lot about how to use technology to teach," explains Douglas."Video games use many of these techniques and are highly effective teachers. So we shouldn't be surprised that violent video games can teach aggression."

430 third to fifth graders, 670 eighth to ninth graders, and 1.441 college students were observed playing games over a period of six months. Surveys were taken over the course of the six months, asking questions to determine whether subjects experienced aggressive thoughts, fights, and their media habits - including games.

Those playing mainly violent games, saw violent behaviour increase 73%, versus those consuming a mix of game types. Violent game players were some 263% more aggressive than those playing nonviolent titles, according to the survey.

You can read the full report online.

Source: GameSpot

By Luke Guttridge

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