ED413986 PS025335
Title: Seeing the World through "Mortal Kombat" Colored
Glasses: Violent Video Games and Hostile Attribution Bias.
Author(s): Kirsh, Steven J.
Pages: 6
Publication Date: April 1997
Notes: Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for
Research in Child Development (62nd, Washington, DC, April 3-6, 1997).
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150)
Geographic Source: U.S.; Kansas
Journal Announcement: RIEAPR1998
Although positive
effects of children playing video games have been found, recent
research suggests that exposure to violent video games may lead
to an increase in aggressive behavior. This study investigated the
effects of playing violent versus nonviolent video games on the
interpretation of ambiguous provocation situations. Participants
were 52 third- and fourth-grade children. Children played with either
a very violent video game, "Mortal Kombat II," or a relatively
nonviolent video game, "NBA Jam: TE," for 13 minutes.
Following the video game play, children were read five stories in
which a same-sex peer caused a clearly negative event to happen
but the intent of the peer causing this negative event was ambiguous.
After each story, children were asked a series of questions about
the peer's intent, subsequent actions,
and whether the peer should be punished and how much. Responses
were coded in terms of amount of negative and violent content. Results
indicated that children playing the violent video game responded
more negatively on three of the six ambiguous provocation story
questions than children playing the nonviolent video game. These
data suggest that playing violent video games leads to the development
of a short-term hostile attribution bias. (Author/HTH)
Descriptors: Aggression; Ambiguity; *Attribution Theory; Grade 4;
Intermediate Grades; *Mass Media Effects; *Video Games; *Violence;
*Young Children
