Game researcher: 90-95% of psych studies flawed

fat_spartan · February 4, 2009, 2:29pm

Game researcher: 90-95% of psych studies flawed - News at GameSpot

Texas A&M International University professor talks about the problems with tying violent games to aggressive behavior.
With the flood of gaming legislation in recent years, the battle between the gaming industry and the states that want to outlaw sales of violent games to children has boiled down to one question: Do violent games hurt children? If the states can scientifically prove that they do, the constitutional protection that such games currently enjoy evaporates.
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/033/gtaiv404_embed.jpg Ferguson says it’s difficult to measure the impact games like Grand Theft Auto IV have on children.

To answer that question, the states point to studies that show that children who play violent games subsequently engage in aggressive behavior. Meanwhile, the gaming industry and its allies tout studies that show no such link.
Recently, Texas A&M International University’s Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson, author of the latter type of study, spoke with GameSpot to discuss some of the background issues that impact not only the battle over gaming legislation, but also all scientific research. Ferguson said that people need to be more skeptical of information presented to them as scientific research. For instance, Ferguson bemoaned the number of times that he’s seen studies presented and promoted with conclusions that the research doesn’t actually support.
A criminal psychologist himself, Ferguson cast a wary eye to much of the work done by his peers.
“I’ll be honest with you, the quality of research in psychology generally is not very good,” Ferguson said. “Maybe 90 to 95 percent is very bad. The way that we study questions, the way that we support our hypotheses are not very scientific, quite frankly. And social science is kind of an oxymoron, to some extent.”
Regarding the study of violent games and aggression in particular, Ferguson was unconvinced that there was a good way to assess the effect that one has on the other. He noted that existing studies have tested a subject’s willingness to annoy others with bursts of noise after gameplay as an example of aggression. As Ferguson emphasized, there is a big difference between such an action and the sort of school shootings or other violent outbursts that concerned groups try to pin on violent games.
“The sad answer is it’s really hard to measure aggression in the lab. We really don’t have any real good measures of aggression,” Ferguson said. “We can’t have kids knifing each other or punching or beating each other up, of course. So we have that ethical constraint on one hand, and is it possible to create an aggression measure that functions well and is valid? I haven’t seen one yet.”
More of the interview with Dr. Ferguson can be heard on the February 3 edition of GameSpot presents The HotSpot.

Malik_Zulfi · February 5, 2009, 5:09am

Re: Game researcher: 90-95% of psych studies flawed

Interesting . . .

I beleive that such games has an impact on gamers. people do get ideas from games. although I do not have any solid reson for that but its my point of view. I have seen many freinds of mine over speeding/ neon lights / odd colors / stickers etc inspired by NFS.

fat_spartan · February 5, 2009, 2:24pm

I also played Need for Speed games back in the day. As a driver in real life however, I'm very cautious. I've played a lot of "violent" games as well, including FPS, fighting games, adventure games, action games etc. So at least from my personal experience, I know it hasn't affected me that much.

I would be careful with what I would let kids play or watch. Some games that I would not want kids or younger teenagers playing would be GTA and similar games, certain fighting games (though more for suggestive themes rather than violence).

I've known many younger to play certain M-Rated games, and it doesn't necessarily have any negative effect on them (e.g. Halo or Gears of War).

Lord · February 11, 2009, 2:05pm

Games affects to some extent. Actually it depends on age level, maturity level. Moreover your mind stimulation.

Adeel25 · February 26, 2009, 11:23am

Its actually the other way arround.

NFS UG's concept was taken from real street racing. :@: of all kinds.

EDIT: Which followed out by the movie series of Fast and the furious.

Malik_Zulfi · February 28, 2009, 3:24pm

real life concept was not that popular before the release of this game and then the release of F&F movies

Adeel25 · March 1, 2009, 5:15pm

Re: Game researcher: 90-95% of psych studies flawed

Another real life RTS board game copy which is also populer and known as Warcraft. It was copied from War hammer (real life real time strategy table top game from Game workshop).

Starcraft was copied from War Hammer 40k (Table Top game in real life)

Numb · March 2, 2009, 10:10am

Re: Game researcher: 90-95% of psych studies flawed

The question would be:

Who are the real killers?

People who play shooters games or armies who allegedly fight for peace, but cause such a havoc and mass murdering that is unbelievable that they have no one other to accuse for being violent!

It's not only NFS which makes people want to have neon lights, golden rims, changed rear and front side. I like such goodies as well independent from having played NFS to death!

I'm 100 % sure that armies have special programmed shooter software which prepares the soldiers for real life action and how easy it is to take lives...this is the reality! Remove the secret agenices and let's see what the so educated Western World has to hide...I believe they have alot what we yet don't know!

Adeel25 · March 2, 2009, 12:24pm

USA army’s test / Practice Test? They go out in the forest wearing war gears and rifles are filled with paint balls. Then they hire people who are not the army and sattle the battle.

Even though they have more powerful weaponery and nukers? They rely on a basic training source. Its not a software.

However, software such as CSS (Counter Strike Source) Is for people like us which suppose to influence us to go and join the army. But it also can lead to many things.