Violence exposure in real‐life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: is there desensitization?

Abstract

It is believed that repeated exposure to real‐life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization. The goal of the present study was to determine if there are relationships between real‐life and media violence exposure and desensitization as reflected in related characteristics. One hundred fifty fourth and fifth graders completed measures of real‐life violence exposure, media violence exposure, empathy, and attitudes towards violence. Regression analyses indicated that only exposure to video game violence was associated with (lower) empathy. Both video game and movie violence exposure were associated with stronger proviolence attitudes. The active nature of playing video games, intense engagement, and the tendency to be translated into fantasy play may explain negative impact, though causality was not investigated in the present design. The samples’ relatively low exposure to real‐life violence may have limited the identification of relationships. Although difficult to quantify, desensitization to violence should be further studied using related characteristics as in the present study. Individual differences and causal relationships should also be examined.

Children's Exposure to Violent Video Games and Desensitization to Violence

“…Using a similar survey approach with 150 fourth and fifth graders, greater long-term exposure to violent video games was associated with lower empathy and stronger proviolence attitudes. [7] In another study, no difference was found in immediate empathic or aggressive responding after 66 five to twelve year old children played a violent or nonviolent video game. However, again using the established category system, a long-term preference for violent video games was associated with lower empathy.…”

“…However, if an individual becomes desensitized to violence, then the moral reasoning processes that could inhibit aggression may be bypassed. [7] As a real life example, it has been reported that the United States army has used violent video games to desensitize soldiers during combat training. [10] It is interesting that the American army disseminates its own video game, America's Army, to potential recruits.…”

“…[6,7,8] Desensitization occurs when the individual is exposed to a previously disturbing stimulus under conditions that mitigate the disturbance. [9] The behavioral outcome of desensitization may be failure to intervene to stop violent actions or the voluntary commission of a violent act.…”

The Next Level of Research on Electronic Play: Potential Benefits and Contextual Influences for Children and Adolescents

“…The first game that was considered to be controversial, Death Race, was published as an arcade game by Exidy in 1976 (Gonzalez, 2004). Computer and video games, and their possible effects on players, have been studied in many fields of scientific literature, with areas of focus including whether games with violent content increase aggression or violence (Anderson & Ford, 1986;Cooper & Mackie, 1986;Funk et al, 2002;Gentile, Lynch, Linder, & Walsh, 2004;Sherry, 2001); whether these games lead to desensitization (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold, & Baumgardner, 2004), real aggression, or violence; the physiological responses to playing computer and video games (van Reekum et al, 2004); addiction (Phillips, Rolls, Rouse, & Griffiths, 1995;Salguero & Moran, 2002); and the use and efficacy of computer and video game ratings (Haninger & Thompson, 2004).…”

Les jeux vidéo de tir à la première personne (FPS) et le Pentagone : les limites du récit pour la science politique

“…Pour faciliter ce réflexe, la dimension répétitive des jeux vidéo augmente le seuil de tolérance à la violence chez le joueur (Hartmann et Vorderer, 2010). Par ailleurs, contrairement à la violence au cinéma, à la télévision et sur Internet, la violence dans les jeux vidéo provoque une baisse de l'empathie chez le joueur (Royal, 1999 ;Funk et al, 2004). La pratique des jeux vidéo violents semble donc particulièrement efficace pour désensibiliser le joueur (Funk et al, 2004), en ce qu'elle atténue ou élimine « des réponses cognitives, émotionnelles et behavioristes » (Rule et Ferguson, 1986).…”