Violent video games, externalizing behavior, and prosocial behavior: A five-year longitudinal study during adolescence.

Abstract

Decades of research on the effects of media violence have examined associations between viewing aggressive material in the media and aggression and prosocial behavior. However, the existing longitudinal studies have tended to exclusively examine aggression and prosocial behavior as outcomes, with a limited range of potential mediators. The current study examines associations between playing violent video games and externalizing and prosocial behavior over a 5-year period across adolescence. Additionally, the study examines potential mediators of these associations, including empathic concern, benevolence, and self-regulation. Participants included 488 adolescents (M age of child at Wave 1 ϭ 13.83, SD ϭ 0.98) and their parents, who completed self-and parental measures at three different time points, each 2 years apart. Results revealed that early exposure to video game violence was indirectly associated with lower levels of prosocial behavior as mediated by lower levels of benevolence. Additionally, early video game violence play was associated with higher levels of externalizing behavior at the cross-sectional level, but not 5 years later. Implications of results for adolescents and parents are discussed.

With a Little Help from Their Peers: The Impact of Classmates on Adolescents’ Development of Prosocial Behavior

“…The fit of this more constrained model was acceptable χ 2 (41) = 1603.71, TLI = 0.949, CFI = 0.949; RMSEA = 0.037 95% CI = [0.036; 0.039]. The correlation between the latent factors of prosocial behavior at T1 and T2 was r = 0.49 ( z = 45.32, p < 0.001), which is highly similar to the coefficient reported in earlier research for a two-year interval ( r = 0.48) (Coyne et al 2018 ). Because most studies testing construct stability use a one-year interval instead of the two-year interval covered in the present study, it seems appropriate to translate the coefficient of stability into the value that would be expected for a one-year interval, which yielded a value of r = 0.70 ( z = 90.76, p < 0.001).…”

When and How Video Games Can Be Good: A Review of the Positive Effects of Video Games on Well-Being

“…For example, when playing alone, prosocial behavior is relatively similar across participants who play ultraviolent, violent, and nonviolent video games (Tear & Nielsen, 2014). Some study findings indicate that VVGs themselves have little to no relationship to prosocial behavior (Ferguson, 2015; Tear & Nielsen, 2013), whereas others demonstrate that VVGs are associated with lower prosocial behavior (Anderson & Bushman, 2001; Coyne, Warburton, Essig, & Stockdale, 2018). However, research has demonstrated that adding a prosocial aspect to the game, such as protecting another character—either one controlled by another player or an NPC—can increase prosocial and helping behavior (Gitter, Ewell, Guadagno, Stillman, & Baumeister, 2013; Velez, Greitemeyer, Whitaker, Ewoldsen, & Bushman, 2016; Velez et al, 2014).…”

Adolescents’ Prosocial Behaviors Through a Multidimensional and Multicultural Lens

“…In addition, adolescents who affiliate with supportive peers behave prosocially more frequently (Stotsky, Bowker, & Etkin, 2019), whereas peer rejection is associated with less frequent prosocial behavior levels (Di Giunta et al, 2018). Moreover, exposure to prosocial media is associated positively with adolescents’ prosocial behaviors, whereas exposure to violent media is negatively linked to such actions (Coyne, Warburton, Essig, & Stockdale, 2018). Finally, sympathy, perspective taking, moral reasoning, and moral values are generally positively associated with prosocial behaviors (Cassels, Chan, Chung, & Birch, 2010; Ongley & Malti, 2014).…”