1. Finding the Difference in Change of Aggression Between the Sexes After Playing Violent Video Games
By: Rustin Casteel
Advisor: Terri Lenox

2. outline History of violence in video games Previous research
Gender differences in video games
Testing for aggression
experiment

3. HISTORY OF VIOLENCE IN VIDEO GAMES
Death Race (1976) first controversial violent video game
Removed from shelves due to controversy
1993 Congressional hearing that focused on violent video games such as DOOM and Mortal Kombat
Resulted in the formation of the ESRB
1997 lawsuit involving the Heath High School shooting
Columbine Massacre (1999)
Led to studies into whether violent video games cause an increase in aggression
APA study from 2015 confirmed link between violent video games and aggression

4. Previous research
‘Effects of Violent Video games on Behavior: Potential Sex Differences’
By Bartholow and Anderson
Used TCRTT to measure aggression
Found males were more aggressive

5. Gender differences in video games
Study found that video games are aimed more towards males
Males outnumber females in ads 3 to 1
Study by Erica Scharrer
Males represented more as playable characters
Study by James D. Ivory
Males and females play video games for different reasons
Males prefer competitive games while females prefer social interaction
Study by By M. H. Phan, J. R. Jardina, & W. S. Hoyle

6. Testing for aggression
Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Test
Ferguson, C.J. & Rueda, S.M. J Exp Criminol (2009)
Hot Sauce Test
Lieberman, Joel D., Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenburg, and Holly McGregor
State Hostility Scale
Craig A. Anderson

7. The Experiment
Used two video games, one ‘violent’ and the other ‘non-violent’
Games were gender neutral
Applied State Hostility Scale to participants
Attempted to recruit participants who did not habitually play video games
Those who habitually play may be desensitized to the violence

8. The experiment
Administered questionnaire to 50 students (25 male, 25 female)
Questionnaire involved questions about participants experience with playing video games
Invited 10 of each gender with the least experience playing video games
Half of each gender played the violent game while the other half played the non-violent game
Administered State Hostility Scale
Had participants watch a short YouTube clip to return them to normal

9. Questionnaire results
Games selected
140 (non-violent)
PixelJunk Shooter (violent)
More willingness to participate in experiment from those with experience playing video games
Few responses from those with lack of experience

10. Hypotheses
Males playing the violent video game will have a greater increase in aggression than females
Those playing the non-violent video game will see no change in aggression

11. Results
Males Violent Game Average Before: 64 Average after: 81 Average Change: +17 Non-Violent Game Average Before: 62 Average after: 75 Average Change: +13
females
Violent Game
Average Before: 55
Average after: 63
Average Change: +8
Non-Violent Game
Average Before: 52
Average after: 57
Average Change: +5

12. Possible problems
The non-violent game might have been considered more difficult than the violent game, causing more frustration
Should have had participants rate difficulty after playing
Those with experience playing video games had an easier time playing than those who didn’t have experience

13. Sources
"APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression." American Psychological Association. N.p., 13 Aug Web. 23 Sept
Anderson, Craig A., and Bruce D. Bartholow. "Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior: Potential Sex Differences."Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 38.3 (2002): ScienceDirect. Web. 30 Sept
Anderson, Craig A. "State Hostility Scale." (1995): n. pag. Web. 25 Sept
Ferguson, Christopher J., and Stephanie M. Rueda. "Examining the Validity of the Modified Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Test of Aggression." Journal of Experimental Criminology (2009): n. pag. Web. 26 Sept
Lieberman, Joel D., Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenburg, and Holly McGregor. "A Hot New Way to Measure Aggression: Hot Sauce Allocation." Aggressive Behavior 25 (1999): Web. 28 Sept
"Video Games: Males Prefer Violence While Females Prefer Social." Software Usability Research Lab. N.p., 09 Feb Web. 25 Sept
Ivory, James D. "Still a Man's Game: Gender Representation in Online Reviews of Video Games." Mass Communication & Society 9.1 (2006): Web. 23 Sept
Scharrer, Erica. "Mass Communication and Society." Virtual Violence: Gender and Aggression in Video Game Advertisements: : Vol 7, No 4. N.p., 17 Nov Web. 25 Sept

14. Questions?