Skip to main content
Intended for healthcare professionals
Restricted access
Research article
First published August 23, 2007

The effects of the presence and contexts of video game violence on children: A longitudinal study in Japan

Akiko Shibuya, Akira Sakamoto, Nobuko Ihori, and Shintaro YukawaView all authors and affiliations
Volume 39, Issue 4
https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878107306670

Abstract

A 1-year panel study of 591 children in fifth grade explored the accumulative effects of the presence and contexts of video game violence on aggression and the antiviolence norm in Japan, on the basis of a comprehensive content analysis of video game violence. The results suggest that contextual effects of violent video games are quite complex, differing with gender, and that contexts are more important than the quantity of violence. Although attractive perpetrators and justification of violence increase aggression for boys, they decrease aggression and strengthen the antiviolence norm for girls, indicating that the direction of effects depend on the players' interpretation of violence.

Get full access to this article

View all access and purchase options for this article.

Get Access

References

Anderson, C.A. (2004). An update on the effects of playing violent video games. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 113-122.
Google Scholar
Anderson, C.A., & Bushman, B.J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27-51.
Google Scholar
Anderson, C.A., & Morrow, M. (1995). Competitive aggression without interaction: Effects of competitive versus cooperative instructions on aggressive behavior in video games. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 1020-1030.
Google Scholar
Ballard, M.E., & Wiest, J.R. (1996). The effects of violent videogame play on males' hostility and cardiovascular responding. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26, 717-730.
Google Scholar
Brooks, M.C. (1999). Press start: Exploring the effects of violent video games on boys (Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at Austin) . Dissertation Abstracts International, 60(12B), 6419.
Google Scholar
Buss, A., H., & Perry, M.P. (1992). The aggression questionnaire . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452-459.
Google Scholar
Calvert, S., & Tan, S. (1994). Impact of virtual reality on young adults' physiological arousal and aggressive thoughts: Interaction versus observation. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 15, 125-139.
Google Scholar
Carnagey, N.L., & Anderson, C.A. (2005). The effects of reward and punishment in violent video games on aggressive affect, cognition, and behavior . Psychological Science, 16, 882-889.
Google Scholar
Farrar, K.M., Krcmar, M., & Nowak, K.L. (2006). Contextual features of violent video games, mental models, and aggression. Journal of Communication, 56, 387-405.
Google Scholar
Potter, W.J., & Tomasello, T.K. (2003). Building upon the experimental design in media violence research: The importance of including receiver interpretations . Journal of Communication, 53, 315-329.
Google Scholar
Sakai, A., Yamasaki, K., Soga, S., Oashi, O., Shimai, S., & Otake, K. (2000). Shogakusei kougekisei shitsumonshi no sakusei to shinraisei, datousei no kentou [Development of an aggression questionnaire for elementary school-aged children]. Gakkou hoken kenkyu [Japanese Journal of School Health], 42, 423-433.
Google Scholar
Sakamoto, A., Kobayashi, S., & Mori, M. (2001a). Kougekigata terebigeemu no shiyou ga joshidaigakusei no bouryokusei ni oyobosu eikyou: Genjitsusei to houshuusei no chouseikouka [Effects of violent video games on aggression among female undergraduates: Impacts of reality and rewards]. Nihon shinrigakkai dai 65 kai taikai happyou ronbunshuu [Proceedings of the 65th convention of the Japanese Psychological Association], p. 804.
Google Scholar
Sakamoto, A., Ozaki, M., Narushima, R., Mori, T., Sakamoto, K., Takahira, M., et al. (2001b). Terebi geemu asobi ga ningen no bouryokukoudou ni oyobosu eikyou to sono katei: Joshi daigakusei ni taisuru futatsu no shakai shinrigaku jikken [The influence of video game play on human violence and its process: Two social psychological experiments of female university students] . Shimyureeshon & Geemingu [Studies in Simulation and Gaming], 11(1), 28-39.
Google Scholar
Shibuya, A., & Sakamoto, A. (2005). The quantity and context of video game violence in Japan: Toward creating an ethical standard. In R. Shiratori, K. Arai, & F. Kato (Eds.), Gaming, simulations, and society: Research scope and perspective (pp. 111-120). Tokyo: Springer-Verlag.
Google Scholar
Smith, S.L., Lachlan, K., & Tamborini, R. (2003). Popular video games: Quantifying the presentation of violence and its context. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 47(1), 58-76.
Google Scholar
Wilson, B.J., Kunkel, D., Linz, D., Potter, J., Donnerstein, E., Smith, S.L., et al. (1997). Violence in the television programming overall: University of California, Santa Barbara study. In National television violence study (Vol. 1, pp. 3-268). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Google Scholar
Yukawa, S., & Yoshida, F. (2000). Bouryokuteki terebigemu to kougekikoudou: Geemu no seishitsu to inshou oyobi sankasei no kouka [Violent video games and aggressive behavior: The effects of game format, impression and participation]. Nihon shakaisinri gakkai dai 41 kai taikai happyou ronbunsyuu [Proceedings of the 41th convention of the Japanese Society of Social Psychology], pp. 74-75.
Google Scholar

Cite article

Cite article

Cite article

OR

Download to reference manager

If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice

Share options

Share

Share this article

Share with email
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK
Share on social media

Share access to this article

Sharing links are not relevant where the article is open access and not available if you do not have a subscription.

For more information view the Sage Journals article sharing page.

Information, rights and permissions

Information

Published In

Volume 39, Issue 4
Pages: 528 - 539
Article first published: August 23, 2007
Issue published: December 2008

Keywords

  1. aggression
  2. content analysis
  3. context
  4. effect
  5. gender
  6. Japan
  7. video game
  8. violence

Rights and permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Akiko Shibuya
Keio University, Japan, [email protected]
View all articles by this author
Akira Sakamoto
Ochanomizu University, Japan, [email protected]
View all articles by this author
Nobuko Ihori
Ochanomizu University, Japan, [email protected]-net.ne.jp
View all articles by this author
Shintaro Yukawa
University of Tsukuba, Japan, s [email protected]
View all articles by this author

Metrics and citations

Metrics

Journals metrics

This article was published in Simulation & Gaming.

VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICS

Article usage*

Total views and downloads: 2890

*Article usage tracking started in December 2016

Articles citing this one

Receive email alerts when this article is cited

Web of Science: 0

Crossref: 44

  1. Reinforcing Relationships Between Gaming Disorder and Aggression and I...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  2. Association of violent video gaming with mental health among male teen...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  3. Violent Video Games and Aggression
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  4. Violent Video Games and Their Relation to Aggressive Behaviour in Late...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  5. The Association between Video Game Type and Aggressive Behaviors in Sa...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  6. Violent Video Games and Aggression
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  7. Causes of Grief
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  8. Family routines and child problem behaviors in fragile families: The r...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  9. Electronic Games, Television, and Psychological Wellbeing of Adolescen...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  10. Video Oyunlarında Şiddetin Sunumu Üzerine Bir Araştırma
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  11. Trauerursachen
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  12. Growing Up with Grand Theft Auto: A 10-Year Study of Longitudinal Grow...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  13. A Multimodal Analysis Combining Behavioral Experiments and Survey-Base...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  14. Video Game Violence and Interactivity: Effect or Equivalence?
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  15. Aggressives Verhalten
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  16. The effects of violent video games and shyness on individuals’ aggress...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  17. Could Social Robots Make Us Kinder or Crueller to Humans and Animals?
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  18. When and How Video Games Can Be Good: A Review of the Positive Effects...
    Go to citation Crossref Google ScholarPub Med
  19. References
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  20. Violent Video Games, Sexist Video Games, and the Law: Why Can't We Fin...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  21. Metaanalysis of the relationship between violent video game play and p...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  22. Relationship of media exposure to substance use among adolescents in S...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  23. Friendly fire: Longitudinal effects of exposure to violent video games...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  24. The Virtual Threat Effect: A Test of Competing Explanations for the Ef...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  25. Is There a Link Between Playing Video Games and Social Violence?
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  26. Do Angry Birds Make for Angry Children? A Meta-Analysis of Video Game ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google ScholarPub Med
  27. Digital poison? Three studies examining the influence of violent video...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  28. Does Media Violence Predict Societal Violence? It Depends on What You ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  29. Does Movie or Video Game Violence Predict Societal Violence? It Depend...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  30. The Impact of a Video Game on Criminal Thinking...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  31. Violent Video Games, Mass Shootings, and the Supreme Court
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  32. Dangerous Liaisons
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  33. Measuring Interactivity in Video Games
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  34. Gaming well: links between videogames and flourishing mental health
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  35. Video Game Violence Use Among “Vulnerable” Populations: The Impact of ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  36. Tunnel Vision or Desensitization?
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  37. The Dynamics of Video Gaming
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  38. Social Context and Video Game Play: Impact on Cardiovascular and Affec...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  39. Association through Action: Identity Development in Real and Virtual V...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  40. Grand Theft Auto IV Comes to Singapore: Effects of Repeated Exposure t...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  41. A Further Plea for Caution Against Medical Professionals Overstating V...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  42. Video Games and Youth Violence: A Prospective Analysis in Adolescents
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  43. Gender, Simulation, and Gaming: Research Review and Redirections
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  44. The Implicit Aggression in Adolescents: The Priming Effect of Internet...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar

Figures and tables

Figures & Media

Tables

View Options

Get access

Access options

If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:

NASAGA members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

NASAGA members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

Alternatively, view purchase options below:

Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.

Subscribe to this journal

Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.

Start 2 week free trial
Need help?

View options

PDF/ePub

View PDF/ePub
Download PDF

Also from Sage