Eli Radosevich

Dr.Guenzel
ENC 1102
March 14, 2016
Research Dossier: Psychological Effects of Video Games On Youth
Dossier Introduction
Researching how gaming affects the minds of children gave me insight into
both the negatives and positives that gaming has. Seeing proof through studies and
research has shown how playing first person shooters can make kids more
aggressive in their daily lives (Ferguson). Not only are this but extended periods of
gaming combined with violent video games shown to have an even greater effect
(Anderson). This comes from kids under the age playing mature rated games (17
and up) and playing them for an average of 7 to 8 hours a day. Its been shown that
repetition of violent actions in video games that are positively rewarded in the
games increase violence in childrens behaviors (Jung) (Glazer). In these cases its
up to parents to monitor their children in order to prevent these negative
pyshcological effects of gaming. Gaming can become an addiction for many children
and leads to Excessive Gaming has also being linked with childhood obesity (Gao).
On the other hand, many types of video games have led to positive effects in
children. Video gaming in general has been shown to improving hand eye
coordination and stimulating critical thinking in puzzle and complex games (Granic).
Multiplayer online games have many ways to interact with all other players online
trough in game and party chat, making video games a social experience for
children. Role playing games and indie games consist of interesting stories and
puzzle mechanics that make the kids that play them become very involved in the
game. Studies have shown that video games combined with family counseling had a
more positive impact than just counseling (Hsieh).In addition, these kind of games
have been found to be very therapeutic and have been used to help treat children
with a variety of conditions (Li). These mechanics make kids solve problems and
experience complicated situations that they would never have been through without
video games. That being said not all games stimulate creative and critical thinking.
The third perspective in my research is that both positive and negative
effects of gaming can be managed in a way that benefits children overall. Positive
effects are more often linked to nonviolent rpgs and puzzle games while negative
effects are more often linked to violent games with very mature content. Kids who
are exposed to extremely violent games at a very young age without any parental
supervision are much more likely to pick up more aggressive behaviors early on.
Nonviolent games with puzzle components and interesting plot lines lead to positive
learning experiences for kids. Obviously these arent absolutes but these are the
results of most of the research I went through.
Research proposal
1

Topic description: Theres been an ongoing debate for the last 30 years since the
inception of video games and their evolution into the daily lives of children about
how they affect kids psychologically and in their daily lives. Studies have shown that
video games can build critical thinking, social skills and motor skills in children while
conversely, other studies have shown that video games can also make children
more violent, cause obesity, and addictive behaviors.
Purpose: Im looking to major in psychology and have a deep rooted interest in
video games. Ive always wanted to know how positive or negative the effects of
gaming are on kids that are growing up surrounded by more and more access to
gaming.
Thesis: Video games have been shown to have both positive and negative effects on
children and it comes down to parental supervision and time spent playing video
games that determines these effects.
Intended audience: The intended audience for this piece is my class and anyone
interested in the psychological effects of gaming on children. Video games will
affect almost everyone in the class in some way either as a hobby or in the future
with their own kids or relatives. Understanding what can be good or bad about
gaming can help people have as much with gaming as they can in a positive way.
Sources: I will be using information from articles on the effects of video games,
books, web pages, and academic essays.
Graphs: I can use graphs and charts to help show the results of certain studies of
the results of my own in the field research on my topic.
Documentation style: I will be using MLA formatting for my paper.

Research Map
Research questions:
1. How do video games affect the psychological development of children?
2. Can video games be a social activity just as much as going out is?
3. Can gaming promote positive rhetorical or psychological skills in kids or is it just a
deterrent?
Narrative: My essay will consist of my take on the research I gathered on The
positive and negative sides of how video games affect kids. I will go through studies
that demonstrate each side of the argument and I will try to determine how exactly
video games can be bad for kids and how they can be used to benefit kids. Ill also
go through specific games, discussing their plots, mechanics and gameplay that
stimulate kids minds in either a negative or positive way. Ultimately, I want this
paper to remain unbiased and simply observe and comment on the research that
supports of the argument.

For field research I want to survey a substantial number of UCF students on how
they feel video games affect kids. I will talk to people who I know are gamers
themselves or who know gamers and I will ask others at random. This research is
opinion-+-+n based but it will support my thesis if I gain the same results from the
survey as I do from the research for the paper itself.
Keywords: Video games, Psychological impact, RPGs, FPSs, game content, game
mechanics
Types of Research: Scientific studies, web articles, field research

Time table:
March 20-26th Begin drafting, finalize research
March 27-April 2nd Work on draft and field research
April 3rd-April 9th Finalized drive and get field research done
April 8th Performance for UCF Glee Club which I will be performing in.
April 11th- Turn in workshop Draft 1 Research Paper
April 12th- Turn in Peer Review of Draft 1
April 13th- Turn in workshop Draft 2 Research Paper.
April 18th- Turn in workshop Draft 3 workshop
April 19th- Peer review Draft 3 workshop/ Towers area council meeting
April 20th- Workshop Draft Self-Assessment
April 21st- Peer Review workshop Draft Self-Assessment/ Reflection
April 23rd Glee showcase performance.
April 26th-Final Draft Argumentative Research Paper
Annotated Bibliography
Anderson, Craig Alan, Douglas A. Gentile, and Katherine E. Buckley. ChOn
[Electronic Resource] :
Theory, Research, And Public Policy. n.p.: Oxford : Oxford
University Press, c2007., 2007. UCF
Libraries Catalog. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. Violent video games are successfully marketed to and easily obtained by
children and adolescents. Even the U.S. government distributes one such
game, Americas Army, through both the internet and its recruiting offices.
Is there any scientific evidence to support the claims that violent games
contribute to aggressive and violent behavior? Anderson, Gentile, and
Buckley first present an overview of empirical research on the effects of
violent video games, and then add to this literature three new studies that
fill the most important gaps. They update the traditional General
3

Aggression Model to focus on both developmental processes and how

media-violence exposure can increase the likelihood of aggressive and
violent behavior in both short- and long-term contexts. Violent Video
Game Effects on Children and Adolescents also reviews the history of
these games explosive growth, and explores the public policy options for
controlling their distribution. Anderson et al. describe the reaction of the
games industry to scientific findings that exposure to violent video games
and other forms of media violence constitutes a significant risk factor for
later aggressive and violent behavior. They argue that society should
begin a more productive debate about whether to reduce the high rates of
exposure to media violence, and delineate the public policy options that
are likely be most effective. As the first book to unite empirical research
on and public policy options for violent video games, Violent Video Game
Effects on Children and Adolescents will be an invaluable resource for
student and professional researchers in social and developmental
psychology and media studies. ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY AUTHOR.
Anderson has worked on many papers involving developmental
psychology and is well suited to have conducted this research. There is
little room for bias in this situation as the source is an official research
study by Oxford university.
Arthur, Charles. "How Kids Cope With Video Games." New Scientist 140.1902
(1993): 5. MAS Ultra School Edition. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. Discusses the results of a study on the effects of video games on children.
`Children and Video Games: An Exploratory Study'; Possibility of addiction;
Games in arcades as encouraging children to spend more; Games as
causing children to lose temper; Violent responses in some cases; Games
as not the root of bad behavior; Development of skills; Social interaction.
ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY AUTHOR. Charles Arthur has published numerous
papers on the internet and the expansion of technology and social media
and how that has affected people. There is little room for bias here as
Charles examines both sides of the argument and is neutral in tone in his
paper.
Clark, Neils, and P. Shavaun Scott. Game Addiction : The Experience And The
Effects. n.p.: Jefferson, N.C.
: McFarland & Co., c2009., 2009. UCF Libraries
Catalog. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. This book studies videogame addiction from a cross-disciplinary approach,
bridging the divide between liberal arts academics and clinical
researchers. The topic of addiction is examined neutrally, using accepted
research in neuroscience, media studies, and developmental psychology,
among others, to reveal how today's gamers interact with and become
consumed by the virtual worlds of their videogames. ABSTRACT PROVIDED
BY AUTHOR. Dr.Clark is psychologist who has studied and published many
research articles on different forms of addiction. There is bias in this
source since this a book and not an official research article. The bias here
4

arises from only looking at extreme cases of game addiction which are
quite rare.
Ferguson, Christopher1, CJFerguson1111@Aol.com, and Cheryl2 Olson. "Video Game
Violence
Use Among 'Vulnerable' Populations: The Impact Of Violent Games
On Delinquency And Bullying
Among
Children With Clinically Elevated
Depression Or Attention Deficit Symptoms." Journal Of
Youth & Adolescence 43.1
(2014): 127-136. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. The issue of children's exposure to violent video games has been a source
of considerable debate for several decades. Questions persist whether
children with pre-existing mental health problems may be influenced
adversely by exposure to violent games, even if other children are not. We
explored this issue with 377 children (62 % female, mixed ethnicity, mean
age = 12.93) displaying clinically elevated attention deficit or depressive
symptoms on the Pediatric Symptom Checklist. Results from our study
found no evidence for increased bullying or delinquent behaviors among
youth with clinically elevated mental health symptoms who also played
violent video games. Our results did not support the hypothesis that
children with elevated mental health symptoms constitute a 'vulnerable'
population for video game violence effects. Implications and suggestions
for further research are provided. ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY AUTHOR. The
author, Ferguson has published papers on delinquency in children and the
effects of it. There is bias because all of the cases that Ferguson looked at
were of troubled children who happened to play video games.
Gao, Z., et al. "A Meta-Analysis Of Active Video Games On Health Outcomes Among
Children And
Adolescents." Obesity Reviews 16.9 (2015): 783-794. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 22 Mar.
2016.
a. his meta-analysis synthesizes current literature concerning the effects of
active video games ( AVGs) on children/adolescents' health-related
outcomes. A total of 512 published studies on AVGs were located, and 35
articles were included based on the following criteria: (i) data-based
research articles published in English between 1985 and 2015; (ii) studied
some types of AVGs and related outcomes among children/adolescents
and (iii) had at least one comparison within each study. Data were
extracted to conduct comparisons for outcome measures in three
separate categories: AVGs and sedentary behaviours, AVGs and
laboratory-based exercise, and AVGs and field-based physical activity.
Effect size for each entry was calculated with the Comprehensive MetaAnalysis software in 2015. Mean effect size ( Hedge's g) and standard
deviation were calculated for each comparison. Compared with sedentary
behaviours, AVGs had a large effect on health outcomes. The effect sizes
for physiological outcomes were marginal when comparing AVGs with
laboratory-based exercises. The comparison between AVGs and field5

based physical activity had null to moderate effect sizes. AVGs could yield
equivalent health benefits to children/adolescents as laboratory-based
exercise or field-based physical activity. Therefore, AVGs can be a good
alternative for sedentary behavior and addition to traditional physical
activity and sports in children/adolescents. ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY
AUTHOR. Dr.Gao has more of a background in biology rather than
psychology and analyzes how gaming can hurt the health of a child who
games to much. There is some bias in this source in that games that
involve activity arent looked at in this study and that is a variable that
can change results.
Glazer, Sarah. "Do video games make kids more violent?." CQ Researcher 2006:
948. Academic OneFile. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. The American Psychological Association recommended in 2005 that all
violence be reduced in video games marketed to children and youth, after
an expert committee reviewed research indicating that exposure to videogame violence increase youths' aggressive thoughts and behavior.
However, there is substantial debate among psychologists over whether
violent behavior can be blamed on video games, as well as about the
long-lasting negative effects of video violence on young people.
ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY AUTHOR. Sarah Glazer is a researcher for the
government who collects information on a myriad of topics and writes
reports about them. There is some bias here as Glazer is writing her own
paper here and although she uses research to back up her opinions there
is still room for bias as she only focuses on the negatives of gaming.

Granic, Isabela1, Adam1 Lobel, and Rutger C.1 M. E. Engels. "The Benefits Of
Playing Video Games."
American Psychologist 69.1 (2014): 66-78. Education Full
Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 22 Mar.
2016.
a. Video games are a ubiquitous part of almost all children's and adolescents
' lives, with 97% playing for at least one hour per day in the United States.
The vast majority of research by psychologists on the effects of "gaming "
has been on its negative impact: the potential harm related to violence,
addiction, and depression. We recognize the value of that research;
however, we argue that a more balanced perspective is needed, one that
considers not only the possible negative effects but also the benefits of
playing these games. Considering these potential benefits is important, in
part, because the nature of these games has changed dramatically in the
last decade, becoming increasingly complex, diverse, realistic, and social
in nature. A small but significant body of research has begun to emerge,
mostly in the last five years, documenting these benefits. In this article,
we summarize the research on the positive effects of playing video
games, focusing on four main domains: cognitive, motivational, emotional,
6

and social. By integrating insights from developmental, positive, and

social psychology, as well as media psychology, we propose some
candidate mechanisms by which playing video games may foster realworld psychosocial benefits. Our aim is to provide strong enough evidence
and a theoretical rationale to inspire new programs of research on the
largely unexplored mental health benefits of gaming. Finally, we end with
a call to intervention researchers and practitioners to test the positive
uses of video games, and we suggest several promising directions for
doing so. ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY AUTHOR. Author is a psychologist who
has published several papers of the positives of gaming. There is a bias in
that this piece is from a textbook that focuses solely on the negatives on
gaming rather than any negatives.
Hsieh, Ru-Lan, Wen-Chung Lee, and Jui-Hsiang Lin. "The Impact Of Short-Term Video
Games On
Performance Among Children With Developmental Delays: A
Randomized Controlled Trial." Plos
ONE 11.3 (2016): 1-16. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. This prospective, randomized controlled study investigated the effects of
short-term interactive video game playing among children with
developmental delays participating in traditional rehabilitation treatment
at a rehabilitation clinic. One hundred and one boys and 46 girls with a
mean age of 5.8 years (range: 3 to 12 years) were enrolled in this study.
All patients were confirmed to suffer from developmental delays, and were
participating in traditional rehabilitation treatment. Children participated
in two periods of 4 weeks each, group A being offered intervention of eight
30-minute sessions of interactive video games in the first period, and
group B in the second, in addition to the traditional rehabilitation
treatment. The physical, psychosocial, and total health of the children was
periodically assessed using the parent-reported Pediatric Quality of Life
Inventory-Generic Core Scales (PedsQL); and the childrens upper
extremity and physical function, transfer and basic mobility, sports and
physical functioning, and global functioning were assessed using the
Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument. Parental impact was
evaluated using the PedsQL-Family Impact Module for family function,
PedsQL-Health Satisfaction questionnaire for parents satisfaction with
their childrens care and World Health Organization-Quality of Life-Brief
Version for quality of life. Compared with the baseline, significant
improvements of physical function were observed in both groups (5.6
19.5, p = 0.013; 4.7 13.8, p = 0.009) during the intervention periods.
No significant improvement of psychosocial health, functional
performance, or family impact was observed in children with
developmental delays. Short-term interactive video game play in
conjunction with traditional rehabilitation treatment improved the physical
health of children with developmental delays. Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY AUTHOR. Doctor Hsieh is a
7

psychologist who has published over thirty articles on the physiotherapy

and treatment of psychological conditions. There is little bias here since
Hsieh conducted a controlled experiment where the results didnt matter
as long as they yielded a result in general.
Jung, Younbo, Namkee Park, and Kwan Min Lee. "Effects Of Trait Hostility, Mapping
Interface, And
Character Identification On Aggressive Thoughts And Overall
Game Experience After Playing A
Violent Video Game." Cyberpsychology,
Behavior & Social Networking 18.12 (2015): 711-717.
Business Source Premier.
Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. This study investigated the effects of trait-level hostility, interface types,
and character identification on aggressive thoughts and overall game
experience after playing a violent video game. Results showed that the
mapping interface made participants with high trait-level hostility more
readily accessible to aggressive contracts, yet it did not have any
significant impact for participants with low trait-level hostility. Participants
with low trait-level hostility reported more positive game experience in the
mapping interface condition, while participants with high trait-level
hostility in the same condition reported more negative game experience.
Results also indicated that character identification has moderating effects
on activating aggressive thoughts and mediating effects on overall game
experience. Implications regarding possible ways of reducing potentially
negative outcomes from violent games are discussed. ABSTRACT
PROVIDED BY AUTHOR. The Author, Jung, has conducted several research
experiments in the field of psychology and has the credentials to perform
this experiment with ethos. Jung tried to eliminate bias by testing subjects
who had low and high trait-level hostility.
Li, William HC, Joyce OK Chung, and Eva KY Ho. "The Effectiveness Of Therapeutic
Play, Using Virtual Reality Computer Games, In Promoting The Psychological WellBeing Of Children Hospitalised With Cancer." Journal Of Clinical Nursing 20.15/16
(2011): 2135-2143. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. The article discusses the results of a study on the efficacy of virtual reality
computer games in enhancing the mental wellness of children with cancer
in a hospital in Hong Kong, China. According to the authors, children
receiving therapeutic play interventions had statistically fewer depressive
symptoms than children receiving routine nursing care. They found no
differences in the two groups in anxiety scores. They indicate that
therapeutic play helps promote holistic and quality care. ABSTRACT
PROVIDED BY AUTHOR. Li is a psychologist that focuses on childhood
development and has the ethos to perform a reputable experiment like
this on the effects of gaming on children. There is little bias here as this
source is a controlled experiment.
Mehmet, Cengiz, KARAGZOLU, and zgr3 MEK. "The Effects Of Active
Games On Aggressive Behaviors Of 7-Year-Old Children. (English)." Pegem Journal
8

Of Education &
Instruction / Pegem Egitim Ve gretim 4.1 (2014): 47-58.
Education Source. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
a. This research is conducted to determine the possible effects of aggressive
behaviors of 7 -year- old children during active games. The video tapes
from various angles of children while playing games are used as the main
assessment tool for collecting the data as well as "The Goodenough-Harris
Drawing Test" and "The Observation Form for Aggressive Behaviors of
Children during the Games". The observation form is used to record the
active and passive aggressive behaviors of the child towards his/her
teammates, the opponent team players, the referee/s and the game
instruments and facilities. This form is designed by the researchers and
refined by views of the experts. ABSTRACT PROVIDED BY AUTHOR.
Dr.Mehmet is a psychologist who has published papers on a variety of
subjects dealing with childrens mental development. There is little bias in
this source since its based on research and no side to the argument is
favored.