Condon 1

Walter Condon
Steffen Guenzel
ENC 1102-14A003
5-29-14
Final Draft
Introduction
In recent years, video games have gained the unfortunate reputation of inciting violent
behavior in gamers from young children to young adults. Whenever a violent incident occurs
such as fights, shootings, and stabbings and a video game has been found to be in the possession
of the perpetrator, people, the media and politicians especially, immediately jump to the
conclusion that the game caused the perpetrator to act in that manner. Usually without having
looked into the situation in depth. As a result the media and politicians as well as concerned
parents alike believe video games are a detriment to society. While there is research detailing the
negative effects of playing games, these negative effects mainly apply only to extreme cases
involving mental instability and are otherwise negligible. The media and politicians have ignored
this qualifier, however, and made the general case against games, but when taking the whole
story into account, it becomes apparent that other factors cause the violent behavior in these
incidents, not the fact that they played a violent game. I argue, that in fact, video games are not
a detriment to society and that games actually have many underrated positive contributions to
society. In the course of this research, I will investigate violent events, such as the Sandy Hook
Shooting and Columbine that have been attributed to video games, including professional
psychological evaluation reports of the perpetrators and their backgrounds. I will also investigate
Condon 2

and disprove other minor claims that put forth the notion that games are a detriment to society,
such as: games over-sexualize or demean women, games promote an unhealthy lifestyle, and
games discourage creativity and learning. I am certain that this research is necessary for several
reasons. First of all, the general public must be made aware of more research opposite the
research explaining the negative aspects of games that have been so prominent in recent years as
to accurately judge the situation and reach their own educated conclusions on the issue.
Secondly, while research has been done detailing positive effects of video games, they tackle the
individual criticisms of games instead of addressing the major issues in a collective argument.
This is where my research comes into play; I will deal with all the main complaints of games
collectively in my argument. As background information, I refer to legal precedents of similar
situations that video games face as well as common sense for situations that parents need to
consider regarding games and their children. Most of the information I present will be exhibits
which includes professional psychological evaluation reports of perpetrators of violent incidents,
economic benefits of the video game industry, creative output potential and heights of games and
the gaming community, online surveys of top females in games, my own surveys, detailed
accounts of games that promote creativity, learning, positive role models, people skills and
games the portray women positively, health benefits of playing games, and reports of health
benefits of other situations that some games employ. The argumentative information I cite are
medical experiments cataloging psychological and physical effects of playing games both
positive and negative. I also include formal statements by experts on the subject.
Research map
Questions: Do games incite violence? Do games oversexualize/demean women? Do games
promote uncreative/unhealthy lifestyles?
Condon 3

Key search words: "video game violence" "top women in video games" "video games + health"
Types of research:
-Library research - Adachi, Happ, Khn, Kneer, Markey, Mayer, "Videogame vixens
-Internet research -"Anders, Chumley, Duffy, Griffin, "GamerBee's, Markey "In
Defense, Meulen, "Rock Drummers, Rubinkam, Tassi, "Tekken Tag, Tiers for,
Tynan
-Field research - Are games an uncreative medium?, "Do Games Incite Violence?", Do games
promote an unhealthy lifestyle?
Time Table
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
May 18
th
19
th

Class
12pm
20
th

Class
12pm
21
st

Library in
place of
class 12pm

Tennis
8pm
22
nd

Class 12pm

do weekend
homework(especially
digital paper trail)
after class to free up
time for wedding

23
rd

cousin's
wedding
rehearsal
6:30
24
th

cousin's
wedding
4:30
25
th
26
th

Class
27
th

Class
28
th

Class
29
th

Class 12pm
30
th
31
st

Condon 4

12pm 12pm 12pm

Tennis
8pm

make sure
workshop
draft
research
dossier is
finished
make sure final draft
research dossier is
finished
June 1
st
2
nd

Class
12pm
3
rd

Class
12pm
4
th

Class
12pm

Tennis
8pm

make sure
workshop
draft
rhetorical
analysis is
5
th

Class 12pm
make sure final draft
rhetorical analysis is
finished
6
th


7
th


Condon 5

finished
8
th

Make
sure
research
pitch is
finished
9
th

Class
12pm
10
th

Class
12pm

make sure
workshop
draft 1 is
finished
11
th

Class
12pm

Tennis
8pm
12
th

Class 12pm
13
th
14
th

15
th

make sure
workshop
draft 2 is
finished
16
th

Class
12pm
17
th

Class
12pm

make sure
RESERCH
PAPER is
finished
and perfect
18
th

Class
12pm

Tennis
8pm
19
th

Class 12pm

make sure TED talks
and eporflio are done


Annotated Bibliography
Adachi, Paul J. C., and Teena Willoughby. "Do Video Games Promote Positive Youth
Development?." Journal Of Adolescent Research 28.2 (2013): 155-165. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 21 May 2014.
Condon 6

Journal article explaining how games meet established criteria for fostering initiative in youth.
Authored by Paul J. C Adachiand and Teena Willoughby who are affiliated with Brock
University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada. This is the research of positive effects of playing games
to make up for ignored data in other experiments detailing the negative effects of games.
"Anders Behring Breivik: history will exonerate me." theguardian.com. Guardian News and
Media, 22 June 2012. Web.
Are games an uncreative medium? Online interview. 15 May 2014.
Informal survey, done by myself, where I asked the yes or no question Do you believe video
games promote creativity? Sample size of 25 with 10 youths, 9 online people, and 6 parents.
Chumley, Cheryl K. "Calif. State Dem Leland Yee, Anti-gun Crusader..." Washington Times.
The Washington Times, 27 Mar. 2014. Web.
"Do Games Incite Violence?" Online interview. 15 May 2014.
Informal survey, done by myself, where I asked the yes or no question Do you believe video
games incite violent behavior? Sample size of 25 with 10 youths, 9 online people, and 6
parents.
Do games promote an unhealthy lifestyle? Online interview. 15 May 2014.
Informal survey, done by myself, where I asked the yes or no question Do you believe video
games promote an unhealthy lifestyle? Sample size of 25 with 10 youths, 9 online people, and 6
parents.
Duffy, Jill. "The Game Industry Salary Survey 2007." Game Career Guide Article.
Www.gamecareerguide.com, 3 Sept. 2007. Web.
Condon 7

Griffin, Alaine. "Newtown Shooting: Adam Lanza's Psychiatric Treatment Revealed In
Documents." Hartford Courant. The Courant, 28 Dec. 2013. Web.
"GamerBee's Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition V2012 Tier List." GamerBee's Super Street
Fighter 4 Arcade Edition V2012 Tier List and Adon Match-up Chart.
Www.eventhubs.com, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 22 May 2014.
An online survey by a gaming website asking gamers on how they rate the characters in the
fighting game Super Street Fighter 4 by tier. This indirectly acts as a survey on how they value
the female characters in this particular game.
Happ, Christian, Andr Melzer, and Georges Steffgen. "Like The Good Or Bad GuyEmpathy
In Antisocial And Prosocial Games." Psychology Of Popular Media Culture (2014):
PsycARTICLES. Web. 21 May 2014.
Report of experiment on prosocial and antisocial behavior observed after playing several
different game. It details positive and negative results for different circumstances in the game.
Authored by Happ, Christian, Melzer, Andr, and Steffgen, Georges who are non-affiliated.
Khn, Simone, et al. "Positive Association Of Video Game Playing With Left Frontal Cortical
Thickness In Adolescents." Plos ONE 9.3 (2014): 1-6. Academic Search Premier. Web.
21 May 2014.
Journal of experiment detailing cognitive and visual-motor growth. Contains positive and
negative results. Authored by Simone Khn and 19 others who are affiliated with Ghent
University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Experimental
Psychology and Ghent Institute for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, and others.
Condon 8

Kneer, Julia, et al. "Are Digital Games Perceived As Fun Or Danger? Supporting And
Suppressing Different Game-Related Concepts." Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social
Networking 15.11 (2012): 604-609. Business Source Premier. Web. 21 May 2014.
Academic Journal of experiment testing positive and negative behavior exhibited after playing
different games. Authored by Julia Kneer, Sabine Glock, Sara Beskes, and Gary Bente who are
collectively affiliated with Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne,
Germany and FLSHASE LCMI Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg,
Luxembourg.
Markey, Patrick. "Home." PsycNET. American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. 15 May
2014. <http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/gpr/14/2/82/>.
Formal statement by Dr. Patrick Markey of the Department of Psychology, Villanova University
for the record of the American Psychological Association on psychological effects of video
games on people. Asserts that games have negligible effect of people of healthy psyches.
Markey, Patrick. "In Defense of Violent Video Games." US News. U.S.News & World Report,
29 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 May 2014.
Article interviewing Dr. Patrick Markey of the Department of Psychology, Villanova University.
In mentioning of an experiment he performed on psychological effects of video games on
people, he explains there are negative effects from playing violent games and that these are
minor effects. He continues to explain that it would be inaccurate to say these negative effects
could jump in scale to cause the noteworthy violent events of the past.
Condon 9

Mayer, Richard E., and Debra A. Lieberman. "Conducting Scientific Research On Learning And
Health Behavior Change With Computer-Based Health Games." Educational Technology
51.5 (2011): 3-14. ERIC. Web. 22 May 2014.
A guide to researchers for using games for learning purposes. Authored by Richard E. Mayer
and Debra A. Lieberman who are unaffiliated. Only positive facts and statistics.
Meulen, Rob Van Der, and Janessa Rivera. "Gartner Says Worldwide Video Game Market to
Total $93 Billion in 2013." Gartner Says Worldwide Video Game Market to Total $93
Billion in 2013. Www.gartner.com, n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.
Article report on game industry revenue in 2013. Written by Rob van der Meulen and Janessa
Rivera both from the gartner website. Includes statistics and estimations of game industry
growth.
"Rock Drummers 'are Top Athletes'" BBC News. BBC, 22 July 2008. Web. 22 May 2014.
Article briefly going over the physical strain and exertion professional drummers go through
during a concert including heart rate, oxygen intake, and calories burnt. Written by unknown
BBC news writer. This will be used in discussion of music games.
Rubinkam, Michael. "Book: Columbine Shooters Mentally Ill, Not Bullied." Carolina Live.
Www.carolinalive.com, 2009. Web.

Tassi, Paul. "The One-Sided Problem of Oversexualization in Video Games." Forbes. Forbes
Magazine, 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 May 2014.
Condon 10

Article explaining the controversy of over-sexualization of women in games. Written by Paul
Tassi of Forbes. Explains why there is a controversy and gives arguments against it.
"Tekken Tag Tournament 2/Tier List and Team Allegiance." - Shoryuken Wiki!
Http://wiki.shoryuken.com, n.d. Web. 22 May 2014.
An online survey by a gaming website asking gamers on how they rate the characters in the
fighting game Tekken Tag Tournament 2 by tier. This indirectly acts as a survey on how they
value the female characters in this particular game.
"Tiers for Soul Calibur 5 by the EventHubs Community." Tiers for Soul Calibur 5 by the
EventHubs Community. Www.eventhubs.com, 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 May 2014.
An online survey by a gaming website asking gamers on how they rate the characters in the
fighting game Soul Caliber 5 by tier. This indirectly acts as a survey on how they value the
female characters in this particular game.
"Videogame vixens are one-dimensional." UWIRE Text 2013: Academic OneFile. Web. 23 May
2014.
Article written by unknown Uloop writer explaining the over-sexualization and demeaning of
women in video games. Will be used to counter argue against.
Tynan, Dan. "Can Video Games Teach Your Child to Be a Better Person?" Yahoo Tech.
Www.yahoo.com, 19 May 2014. Web.

Article written by tech columnist Dan Tynan detailing games that can teach people skills to
children. Goes over worries as a parent and talks about certain games that teach people skills.