The recent Iowa State University study, which linked videogames with aggressive behaviour, has received a backlash of criticism from both industry and academia. 

Yesterday Edge reported the findings of the report, which compares two separate studies in videogame violence from both the US and Japan. The study’s co-author, professor Craig Anderson, explained that Japanese children are as affected by violent videogame content as much as US children are. 

However, professor Anderson has already been subjected to extensive criticism. In an open letter to Pediatrics, Texas A&M International University assistant professor of psychology Christopher Ferguson suggests that “there are numerous flaws in the literature review, methodology and conclusions that greatly reduce my enthusiasm for [the study], and call into question the meaningfulness of it.”  

“In the literature review the authors suggest that research on video game violence is consistent when this is hardly the case,” he continues. “The authors here simply ignore a wide body of research which conflicts with their views ... the authors link their results to youth violence in ways that are misleading and irresponsible ... if anything it is remarkable how little effect that violent games had on trait aggression [in the study], considering that other relevant variables were not controlled.” 

Ferguson concluded that “given the weak effect sizes, the lack of control of relevant variables, and the failure of the authors to acknowledge data and research which contradicts their hypothesis, I am left with little confidence that the results of the current study provides much meaningful information on the impact of violent games.” 

As well as academic adversary, the Entertainment Consumers Association has condemned the study in a carefully-worded statement: “For the better part of the past decade we – game consumers, makers, sellers and creators – have been waiting for the results of an unbiased, longitudinal and comprehensive study to be done which will inform us about the potential harmful effects of entertainment products on our children. Unfortunately, with the report published in the latest issue of Pediatrics, we remain wanting.” 

Edge has approached professor Anderson for a response.

Source: Gamepolitics