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Playing violent video games causes aggression in players.
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CONTESTED PARTIAL
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6 sources for · 5 against
Is it true that playing violent video games causes aggression in players?
Partly. Peer-reviewed meta-analyses and lab experiments report that violent video game play is associated with increased aggression, while a two-month longitudinal intervention in adults and a children's experiment found no significant aggression effects, and other sources report no consensus or only small effects. The evidence is mixed and largely partial, with several studies limited to short-term or specific populations.
Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 6 sources for, 5 against · Last checked
Evidence for · 6
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Violence and video games. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_and_video_games
Evidence against · 5
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Do violent video games cause violent behavior?. (2011). skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/598/do-violent-video-games-cause-violent-behavior
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More for · 5
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The contagious impact of playing violent video games on aggression: Longitudinal evidence - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21857
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Violent Video Games Stress People Out and Make Them More Aggressive. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21454
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Wagener, G. L., Schulz, A., & Melzer, A. (2025). A Plague(d) Tale: Are violent video games effective in reducing stress levels?. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2025.112518
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Anderson, C. A., Shibuya, A., Ihori, N., Swing, E. L., Bushman, B. J., Sakamoto, A., Rothstein, H. R., & Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in eastern and western countries: a meta-analytic review.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018251
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Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00366
More against · 4
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Kühn, S., Kugler, D., Schmalen, K., Weichenberger, M., Witt, C., & Gallinat, J. (2018). Does playing violent video games cause aggression? A longitudinal intervention study. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0031-7
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Daniel, G. & Others, A. (1987). Effects of Playing versus Observing Violent versus Nonviolent Video Games on Children's Aggression.. eric.ed.gov. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ363180
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Ewell, P. J., Hamilton, J. C., & Guadagno, R. (2025). The Spoilers of Virtual War: Experience and Performance Mediate the Relationship Between Violent Video Games and Hostility. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2024.0246
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Batty, S. (2021). A Positive Side of Violent Video Game Play. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.32396/USURJ.V7I1.473
also asked as
- Does playing violent video games cause aggression in players?
- Is it true that violent video games make players aggressive?
- Do violent video games lead to aggressive behavior in players?
- Can playing violent video games cause people to become aggressive?
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