Relationship between violent video game playing and aggression in adolescents of two secondary schools in Lusaka district.
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Date
2019
Authors
Nakazwe-Sumbwa, Bupe
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
The current study investigated the impact of media violence, focusing on the relationship between violent video game playing and aggression in adolescents from two schools. The study was quantitative in nature and used a survey research design. A sample of 200 boys and girls were recruited from two schools; one private and the other public. Of the 200, each school had 50 boys and 50 girls. A 2×3×2 factorial plan consisting of two levels of gender (boy / girl), three
types of aggression (physical / verbal / anger) and SES was used. In this study, school (private / public) was the main indicator of SES. All three measures used were self-reported; a Demographic Questionnaire which looked at the participant‟s gender, parents/guardians education and residential background, the Free Time Questionnaire on the other hand examined the participant‟s favorite games and amount of time spend playing and the Buss-Perry Aggression Mode Questionnaire measured the participant‟s aggression levels based on three types; physical, verbal and anger. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyse data. Descriptive analysis of game preference and time spent playing were conducted using means and frequencies. Comparisons across gender and schools representing different SES were conducted using an ANOVA, while Pearson‟s correlation explored the relationship between violent video game play and aggression. Further computations using a simple regression analysis was used to determine whether violent video games predicted
aggression. Findings indicated that violence was present in the games played and that these games were played in the selected schools with boys reporting (5.1 times and 67% preference on average) more time playing and a higher preference for games with a violent content than the girls (1.8 time and 32% preference). Correlational analyses indicated significant positive relationship between aggression and playing violent video games. Regression analyses also
indicated that violent video games predicted aggression. Boys scored higher on physical and anger aggression than the girls but scored less than the girls on verbal aggression. Overall, the results indicate a connection between exposure to violence in video games and its negative effects such as aggression on secondary school pupils. These results are significant because exposure to violent video games is mostly common in adolescents who are most likely to
demonstrate these adverse effects. The findings suggest the need for intervention measures to be put in place to address this problem in schools.
Description
Thesis of Master of Arts in Child and Adolescent Psychology