Author: edwardnihlman

Research Position Paper-edwardnihlman

Are Video Games Really the Cause of Violence?

When someone commits a crime, it is very easy for the government or parents to blame video games, because they are not associated with them. The fact of the matter is, violent video games are only one out of many sources of increased aggression, and it is not even a particular one that is directly correlated with criminal activity. If people would dig deeper, they would find that the video games and other media, are not the blame for mass murders and other crimes. An individual’s environment, upbringing, and social class create aggression and contribute to criminal activity. The true reason video games are blamed is, because they are used as a scapegoat for others who are more responsible for inciting violent behavior in people.

Despite what others may say, not every United States citizen has equal opportunities. Some people have disadvantages against them based on their race, ethnicity, gender, etc. With this in mind, consider an experiment performed by Tobias Greitemeyer and Christian Sagioglou which proves that people of a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be aggressive than those of a higher status. The United States government promises equal opportunity, and yet many people have it harder than others. If these same people are forced into a lower class, find increased aggression from their status, and then commit a crime, then it does not paint a very pretty picture of the government which allows such things to occur and blames video games for its own failures.

 Furthermore, Jennifer Welsh wrote about a study by Michael Lorber, which discovered that an aggressive personality can be formed due to negative parenting when a child is still an infant. Since a baby is very impressionable, a parent’s negative treatment towards the child and around the child can assist in building a violent mind that could later commit crimes. The point is, violent video games are a proven cause of aggressive behavior in people, but it is not the only factor. There are other reasons for increasing aggressive behavior;  some of which are not flattering for various groups of people. If attention was put on society or parenting, as a cause for increased aggression, it might make the government or parents very concerned for their own image. In contrast, people put all of the attention on interactive media.

The biggest argument against video games being a scapegoat is that they actually do lead to violent behavior. Violent video games causing violent behavior in gamers seems like a reasonable thing to conclude. The evidence for such a conclusion is also seemingly concrete.  Such evidence includes studies showing that aggression does increase when playing violent video games, as well as testimonies from culprits. However, I have found that the evidence supporting violent video games as a catalyst for criminal activity is taken for granted and interpreted incorrectly to favor that stance.

Aggressive behavior does not necessarily mean violence. For decades, politicians and parents have been blaming violent video games as the catalyst for violent behavior in those who play them. A year ago, the American Psychological Association released a study indicating that video games do increase aggression and decrease empathy and sensitivity. At face value, one might think that this proves the claims correct, and that video games do incite violence out of its audience. However, this study does not quite prove that. The study says, violent video games increase aggressive behavior, but there is still no correlation between this changed behavior and outright violence.

 To better understand what I mean, one must better understand what aggressive behavior entails. According to the University of North Carolina, aggressive behavior is a persistent pattern of behavior that causes or threatens harm to people. Aggression is seen in many forms. There are verbal forms such as taunts and threats. Physical forms such as tantrums, throwing, and fights. Covert forms such as lying, stealing and drug use. Besides, these there are many other types. The fact of the matter is that some forms of aggression are less severe than others. Without a doubt, any form of physical aggression can easily lead to violence, but other forms such as lying or taunting are less clear. With such a broad spectrum of what is considered aggression, suggesting violent video games causes aggressive activities is a weak argument in blaming them for violent crimes.

 To elaborate, someone who plays violent video games might end up being more prone to taunt others. They may even lie or steal more often. There is even the potential that these games could lead to a violent crime, but each form of aggression listed above is very different. Whether it be verbal or physical, noticeable or subtle. There is nothing that truly links one form of aggression to another, besides them just being a form of aggression. Violent video games may only increase one form of aggressive behavior, or it could increase all of them. Despite the research done, there is not enough to pinpoint violent behavior as an effect of increased aggression. In turn, this also means there is not enough to indicate violent behavior as an effect of video games.

 A critical point is that some criminals admit to video games playing a part in their crime. ABC News reported in 2003 that William and Joshua Buckner shot at passing cars on the Tennessee highway, killing a man and injuring a woman. After being apprehended, they claimed that they were inspired to do the crime after playing a game called Grand Theft Auto. There seems to be very obvious scapegoating in this situation. James Fleck explains in his essay Why We Blame Others, that people will blame another person or source for an action out of habit. When someone is under heat for their actions, it is a natural reaction to attempt to bring attention off of one’s self and onto another source. This instance is no different. Whether or not someone is trying to lessen their prison sentence or some other underlying goal, criminals will typically bring other people or another factor into their crime so that they do not get the full wrath of their apprehension.

In conclusion, the evidence that supports the argument of violent video games causing violent behavior is often misinterpreted. Just because games can cause aggression, does not mean it results in criminal activity, especially when violent crimes are decreasing as video games are becoming more and more popular. Even testimonies from criminals cannot be taken at face value since a criminal will say almost anything to lessen the consequences of their actions. In reality, for a perpetrator to blame video games only adds to the idea that violent video games are used as a scapegoat. Taking in the fact that other groups such as the government and parents would want to blame video games to subvert attention from themselves, and the case against violent video games leading to crimes becomes less and less concrete. Where video games as a cause of violent behavior is less clear, bad parents and a terrible class system created by the government is seemingly more definitive.

Works Cited

“APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression.” American Psychological Association. N.p., 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Fraser, Mark W., James K. Nash, Maeda J. Galinsky, and Kathleen M. Darwin. “The Making Choices Program: Social Problem- Solving Skills …” University of North Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Greitemeyer, Tobias, and Christina Sagioglou. “Subjective Socioeconomic Status Causes Aggression: A Test Of The Theory Of Social Deprivation.” Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 111.2 (2016): 178-194. PsycARTICLES. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

Welsh, Jennifer. “‘Negative Parenting’ Starts Aggressive Personalities Early.” Live Science. N.p., 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

Entertainment Software Association, “Essential Facts About Games and Violence,” http://www.theesa.com, 2008

News, ABC. “Did Video Game Drive Teens to Shootings?” ABC News. ABC News Network, 06 Sept. 2003. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.

Fleck, J. R. (2011). Why we blame others: An examination of scapegoating (Order No. 1492807). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (862344967).

Reflective-edwardnihlman

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

For any work to become great, it is important to look at its shortcomings and work off of that. An important part of Professor Hodges’ class is getting feedback for an essay, and then rewriting the essay based on what was suggested. The best example of me demonstrating this core value is seen in my Causal Argument essay. After completing the original essay, I talked directly with Professor Hodges and through his help, I was able to drastically change and improve upon what I had originally written. For example, one of my original paragraphs lacked a clear argument and had a lot of sentences that shared a similar meaning. To elaborate, it said that there was a connection between socioeconomic status and aggression, but in numerous sentences. It also brought up this being the government’s fault, but that line of thought went nowhere. With his feedback, I condensed what was originally written to a few sentences, wrote more to create a better argument, and restructured it all to be more coherent. So now it goes from establishing that some people are at a disadvantage, those people could end up in a lower class, a lower class leads to a higher level of aggression, and this increased aggression can lead to committing crimes. It wraps up by establishing that this is the government’s responsibility and as such, they may blame others to subvert attention.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities.

While it is important to use information to back up an argument, it is very easy to simply parrot what someone else is saying. In order to avoid this, one would have to read and analyze the text that they plan to use, and see how they can incorporate it into an essay which says something new on a topic. I followed this core value best within my Rebuttal Argument essay. To elaborate, I had found that the American Psychological Association found a correlation between violent video games and increased aggression. However, it does not directly support the case that violent video games can lead to criminal activity, so I used this to my advantage. I expressed how aggression can be a broad term, and as such, one can not say for sure that the aggression from video games can lead to murders.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

An important part of creating good writing is to understand the rhetorical elements. In other words, analyzing the purpose, audience, and context of a writing. By doing this, one can become a better writer overall. I went along with this core value in my Visual Rhetoric Analysis. In this assignment, I had to watch a thirty second PSA without audio, and try to figure out various things about it such as symbolism, purpose, audience, etc. I accomplished this by analyzing the video second by second. I looked at all of the various details of the frame to understand the argument that was being made. By the end, I had a clear understanding of what the PSA was trying to portray and how it expressed this. It was a PSA on texting while driving. It established a good Samaritan who was extremely selfless. In the end, he texts while driving, showing that even the best people can make the mistake of texting while driving. It is a bad thing to do, but those who do it are not inherently bad.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

In order to make a good argument, one should have sufficient evidence to back up the claims they are making. Without this, an argument can be chalked up as a baseless theory, lacking any sort of credibility. However, when evidence is used properly, an argument is enhanced and becomes more persuasive. I demonstrated this core value with my Causal Argument essay. In this essay, I brought up various points such as socioeconomic class determining levels of aggression, and poor parenting leading to increased aggression in a child. Alone, these claims mean nothing, but I offered evidence in the form of experiments which show my claims have merit to them, and makes the argument stronger as a whole. I also acquired the information of the experiments through databases since it is important to acquire evidence from a credible source.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation.

A major part of writing anything is to cite where you got your information from, and use the information appropriately. As a student of a university, it is important for me to uphold this ethic, and not plagiarize other people’s work. Even if it were not forbidden, it is only appropriate for others to be credited for the things they worked on. I upheld this core value in my Rebuttal Argument essay. In it, I drew upon a graph, article, and essay in order to get my points across. Whenever I was referring to something in the text, I made sure to clarify what it was and who wrote it. I also created a works cited in order to properly document the sources I used within the essay, and to give proper credit to those who made the respective sources.

Bibliography-edwardnihlman

 

  1.  “APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression.” American Psychological Association. N.p., 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Background: The article discusses how a study done by the American Psychological Association concludes that there is a correlation between playing violent video games and an increase in aggression. There is also a decrease in empathy among gamers.

How I Used It: I used this evidence to establish that while there is a link between increasing aggression and violent video games, there is no link between violent video games and increasing aggressive behavior that directly involves criminal activity or violent offenses. Aggression is a broad term and does not always mean physical altercations. It could be as simple as lying or throwing a tantrum.

  1. Fraser, Mark W., James K. Nash, Maeda J. Galinsky, and Kathleen M. Darwin. “The Making Choices Program: Social Problem- Solving Skills …” University of North Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Background: This document establishes what aggression exactly is. It is defined as “a persistent pattern of behavior that causes or threatens harm to other people.” Forms of aggression include verbal, physical, instrumental, reactive, proactive, overt, covert, and indirect.

How I Used It: I used this document to explain that while video games may increase aggression, there are so many forms of aggression that it is not a clear indication of video games leading to violent offenses. Violent video games may only increase the chances of throwing a tantrum or lying to somebody.

  1. Greitemeyer, Tobias, and Christina Sagioglou. “Subjective Socioeconomic Status Causes Aggression: A Test Of The Theory Of Social Deprivation.” Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 111.2 (2016): 178-194. PsycARTICLES. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

Background: This was a study performed to see if socioeconomic classes determine how aggressive someone can be. Through the study, it was found that a lower socioeconomic class generally led to a higher level of aggression among individuals.

How I Used It: I used this study to show that there are other things that increase aggression that would come off as unflattering to those involved with it. These same people may want to blame video games to avoid accusations on themselves. In this instance, it would be the government since their systems have led to many people being stuck in the working class, which in turn would lead to their increase in aggressive behavior.

  1. Welsh, Jennifer. “‘Negative Parenting’ Starts Aggressive Personalities Early.” Live Science. N.p., 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

Background: This study shows that negative parenting when a child is still an infant will lead to an aggressive personality later on.

How I Used It: Parents tend to blame video games for a child’s aggressive behavior, but it may just be a way of diverting attention from them. This study proves that a parent who is poorly raising their child, specifically earlier on, will have a more aggressive kid. This may raise concern about the parent, which is why they would want to get rid of the attention and pin any crimes on video games.

  1. Entertainment Software Association, “Essential Facts About Games and Violence,” http://www.theesa.com, 2008

Background: This is a graph showing the increase in video game sales while showing the slight decrease in violent crime offenses.

How I Used It: I used this evidence to prove that the correlation between video games and violent crimes is seemingly illogical. If more people are getting their hands on violent video games and these games are supposedly increasing violent behavior, then the rate of crimes should be going up. However, that is not the case.

  1. News, ABC. “Did Video Game Drive Teens to Shootings?” ABC News. ABC News Network, 06 Sept. 2003. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.

Background: This is an article about William and Joshua Buckner who shot at cars which led to deaths and injuries. They had claimed that Grand Theft Auto inspired them to perform the crime which in turn led to the increased belief that violent video games were causing more crimes.

How I Used It: I used this article to establish that there are often instances of the criminals themselves claiming that the games are what caused them to commit the crimes.

  1. Fleck, J. R. (2011). Why we blame others: An examination of scapegoating (Order No. 1492807). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (862344967).

Background: An essay about why people will blame others for the actions that they committed. In the essay, James Fleck explains that people will blame others as a natural reaction to avoid having negative attention on themselves.

How I Used It: I used this essay to invalidate the testimonies of William and Joshua Buckner, and people like them who will claim that video games are why they committed the crime. This essay shows that blaming is something everyone does to avoid negative attention. It does not have to be true; it just has to work.

  1. Adam Thierer, MA, “Video Games, Ratings, Parental Controls, & Public Policy: Where Do We Stand?,” http://www.pff.org, Apr. 2008

Background: This is a graph indicating the increase in video game ratings awareness and whether parents utilize them. It shows that their awareness and usage is increasing over time.

How I Used It: I used this graph to show that for the most part, the youth are being protected from violent video games. While I do not believe they lead to aggressive behavior, this shows that most youth are not even playing games with content that is too mature for them.

  1. “A Timeline of Video Game Controversies.” National Coalition Against Censorship. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Background: This is a timeline indicating the most notable instances of video game controversies, most of which dealing with real world violence.

How I Used It: I used this timeline to establish the history of violent video games and the belief that they lead to violent behavior.

  1. Kerstetter, Jim. “Why Do We Blame Games for Real-world Violence?” CNET. N.p., 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Background: Out of 2278 US adults, a third say they will let their child play anything that they want. Whether it is violent or too mature for the kid does not matter to them at all.

How I Used It: I do not believe that violent video games lead to criminal activity, but I do believe that bad parenting may have more to do with it. The fact that these parents have little care for what their child plays, may also mean they are negatively parenting them.

Rebuttal Rewrite-edwardnihlman

Do Violent Video Games Translate to Violent Behavior?

Violent video games causing violent behavior in gamers seems like a reasonable thing to conclude. The evidence for such a conclusion is also seemingly concrete.  Such evidence includes studies showing that aggression does increase when playing violent video games, as well as testimonies from culprits. However, everything that this argument is founded on is incorrect. I have found that the evidence supporting violent video games as a catalyst for violence is taken for granted and interpreted incorrectly to favor that stance.

 Firstly, the American Psychological Association’s research on video games finds that there is a correlation between playing violent video games and increases in aggression. This would seem conclusive at face value if it were not for the fact that there are various forms of aggression. Aggressive behavior takes the form of anything from lying and throwing tantrums to fighting and hurting people. It can be verbal or physical, subtle or noticeable. The studies done by the Association are not conclusive in pointing out a link between violent video games and criminal activity, but rather violent video games and a broad spectrum of aggressive actions. It may be possible that there is a connection, but according to data collected by the Entertainment Software Association, as general video game sales increase, the total number of violent offences has been decreasing over time. This shows that despite a larger population of gamers having played violent video games, there have been less violent crimes.

 On another note, a critical point is that some criminals admit to video games playing a part in their crime. ABC News reported in 2003 that William and Joshua Buckner shot at passing cars on the Tennessee highway, killing a man and injuring a woman. After being apprehended, they claimed that they were inspired to do the crime after playing a came called Grand Theft Auto. There seems to be very obvious scapegoating in this situation. James Fleck explains in his essay Why We Blame Others, that people will blame another person or source for an action out of habit. When someone is under heat for their actions, it is a natural reaction to attempt to bring attention off of one’s self and onto another source. This instance is no different. Whether or not someone is trying to lessen their prison sentence or some other underlying goal, criminals will typically bring other people or another factor into their crime so that they do not get the full wrath of their apprehension.

 In conclusion, the evidence that supports the argument of violent video games causing violent behavior is often misinterpreted. Just because games can cause aggression, does not mean it results in criminal activity, especially when violent crimes are decreasing as video games are becoming more and more popular. Even testimonies from criminals cannot be taken at face value since a criminal will say almost anything to lessen the consequences of their actions. In reality, for a perpetrator to blame video games only adds to the idea that violent video games are used as a scapegoat.

Works Cited

“APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression.” American Psychological Association. N.p., 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Entertainment Software Association, “Essential Facts About Games and Violence,” http://www.theesa.com, 2008

News, ABC. “Did Video Game Drive Teens to Shootings?” ABC News. ABC News Network, 06 Sept. 2003. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.

Fleck, J. R. (2011). Why we blame others: An examination of scapegoating (Order No. 1492807). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (862344967).

Causal Rewrite-edwardnihlman

One of a Million

When someone commits a crime, it is very easy for the government or parents to blame video games, because they are not associated with them. The fact of the matter is, violent video games are only one out of many sources of increased aggression, and it is not even a particular one that is directly correlated with criminal activity. If people would dig deeper, they would find that the video games and other media, are not the blame for mass murders and other crimes. An individual’s environment, upbringing, and social class create aggression and contribute to criminal activity.

Despite what others may say, not every United States citizen has equal opportunities. Some people have disadvantages against them based on their race, ethnicity, gender, etc. With this in mind, consider an experiment performed by Tobias Greitemeyer and Christian Sagioglou which proves that people of a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be aggressive than those of a higher status. The United States government promises equal opportunity, and yet many people have it harder than others. If these same people are forced into a lower class, find increased aggression from their status, and then commit a crime, then it does not paint a very pretty picture of the government which allows such things to occur and blames video games for its own failures.

 Furthermore, Jennifer Welsh wrote about a study by Michael Lorber, which discovered that an aggressive personality can be formed due to negative parenting when a child is still an infant. Since a baby is very impressionable, a parent’s negative treatment towards the child and around the child can assist in building a violent mind that could later commit crimes. The point is, violent video games are a proven cause of aggressive behavior in people, but it is not the only factor. There are other reasons for increasing aggressive behavior;  some of which are not flattering for various groups of people. If attention was put on society or parenting, as a cause for increased aggression, it might make the government or parents very concerned for their own image. In contrast, people put all of the attention on interactive media.

 However, some might say that while there are other causes of aggression, violent video games on a whole, is the most noteworthy one. It allows a player to control the actions and desensitize them through that. If one form of aggression is to be considered more effective than another, then there should be some way to identifying this. A simple argument would be that crime clearly comes from playing violent video games. That argument holds very little validity,  when a study by the American Psychological Association shows that, while it has been proven that games do increase aggression, there is an inability to clearly correlate these aggressive behaviors to criminal activity; especially since aggression takes on a multitude of forms, some of which are not even physical. In the end, someone who commits a crime due to their socioeconomic status seems more apparent since they are obviously poor and have a more clear motive.

 In conclusion, things such as parenting and social status are just as much a cause of aggression as violent video games. This opens the door for tons of other possible reasons for violent behavior. Video games may be correlated to increased aggression, but they are hardly the core cause of it. More so, they only play as a  partial factor.

Works Cited

Greitemeyer, Tobias, and Christina Sagioglou. “Subjective Socioeconomic Status Causes Aggression: A Test Of The Theory Of Social Deprivation.” Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 111.2 (2016): 178-194. PsycARTICLES. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

Welsh, Jennifer. “‘Negative Parenting’ Starts Aggressive Personalities Early.” Live Science. N.p., 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

“APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression.” American Psychological Association. N.p., 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Rebuttal-edwardnihlman

Do Violent Video Games Translate to Violent Behavior?

The biggest argument against video games being a scapegoat is that they actually do lead to violent behavior. Violent video games causing violent behavior in gamers seems like a reasonable thing to conclude. The evidence for such a conclusion is also seemingly sound. Such evidence includes studies showing that aggression does increase when playing violent video games, and testimonies from culprits. However, I have found that the evidence supporting violent video games as a catalyst for criminal activity is taken for granted and interpreted incorrectly to favor that stance.

First off, the American Psychological Association’s research on video games finds that there is a correlation between playing violent video games and increases in aggression. This would seem conclusive at face value if it were not for the fact that there are various forms of aggression. Aggressive behavior takes the form of anything from lying and throwing tantrums to fighting and hurting people. It can be verbal or physical, subtle or noticeable. The studies done by the Association are not conclusive in pointing out a link between violent video games and criminal activity, but rather violent video games and a broad spectrum of aggressive actions. It may be possible that there is a connection, but according to data collected by the Entertainment Software Association, as general video game sales increase, the total number of violent offences has been decreasing over time. This shows that despite more people having played violent video games, there have been less violent crimes.

On another note, another critical point is that some criminals admit to video games playing a part in their crime. ABC News reported in 2003 that William and Joshua Buckner shot at passing cars on the Tennessee highway, killing a man and injuring a woman. After being apprehended, they claimed that they were inspired to do the crime after playing Grand Theft Auto. The problem with this is that it is very obvious scapegoating. James Fleck, in his essay Why We Blame Others, explains that people will blame another person or source for an action out of habit. When someone is under heat for their actions, it is a natural reaction to attempt to bring attention off of one’s self and onto another source. This instance is no different. Whether or not they are trying to lessen their sentence or some other underlying goal, criminals will typically bring other people into their crime so they do not get the full wrath of their apprehension.

In conclusion, the evidence that founds the argument of violent video games causing violent behavior is misinterpreted. Just because games can cause aggression, does not mean it cause criminal activity, especially when violent crimes are decreasing as video games are becoming more and more popular. Even testimonies from criminals cannot be taken at face value since a criminal will say anything to lessen the consequences of their actions. In reality, them blaming video games only adds to the idea that violent video games are used as a scapegoat.

Works Cited

American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Entertainment Software Association, “Essential Facts About Games and Violence,” http://www.theesa.com, 2008

News, ABC. “Did Video Game Drive Teens to Shootings?” ABC News. ABC News Network, 06 Sept. 2003. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.

Fleck, J. R. (2011). Why we blame others: An examination of scapegoating (Order No. 1492807). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (862344967). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/862344967?accountid=13605

Definition Rewrite-edwardnihlman

Does Aggression Equal Violence?

Aggressive behavior does not necessarily mean violence. For decades, politicians and parents have been blaming violent video games as the catalyst for violent behavior in those who play them. A year ago, the American Psychological Association released a study indicating that video games do increase aggression and decrease empathy and sensitivity. At face value, one might think that this proves the claims correct, and that video games do incite violence out of its audience. However, this study does not quite prove that. The study says violent video games increase aggressive behavior, but there is still no correlation between this changed behavior and outright violence.

To better understand what I mean, one must better understand what aggressive behavior entails. According to the University of North Carolina, aggressive behavior is a persistent pattern of behavior that causes or threatens harm to people. Aggression is seen in many forms. There are verbal forms such as taunts and threats. Physical forms such as tantrums, throwing, and fights. Covert forms such as lying, stealing and drug use. Besides, these there are many other types. The fact of the matter is that some forms of aggression are less severe than others. Without a doubt, any form of physical aggression can easily lead to violence, but other forms such as lying or taunting are less clear. With such a broad spectrum of what is considered aggression, saying violent video games causes aggressive activities is a weak argument in blaming them for violent crimes.

To elaborate, someone who plays violent video games might end up being more prone to taunt others. They may even lie or steal more often. There is even the potential that these games could lead to a violent crime, but each form of aggression listed above is very different. Whether it be verbal or physical, noticeable or subtle. There is nothing that truly links one form of aggression to another, besides them just being a form of aggression. Violent video games may only increase one form of aggressive behavior, or it could increase all of them. Despite the research done, there is not enough to pinpoint violent behavior as an effect of increased aggression. In turn, this also means there is not enough to indicate violent behavior as an effect of video games.

Works Cited

American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Fraser, Mark W., James K. Nash, Maeda J. Galinsky, and Kathleen M. Darwin. “The Making Choices Program: Social Problem- Solving Skills …” University of North Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Enough About You-edwardnihlman

Money, without which nothing gets done, drives our society. Money is valuable in different ways, even when not physically present. In today’s society we must have faith in the government and in the banking system that our money is being handled with in the proper manner, if not then money would have to be hidden under the mattress, or around the house. I have no clue what happens in the banks, or how they take care of our money. Money is seemingly simple; it is either there or it is not. However, this assignment has shown me that US gold, Brazilian cruzeros, digital currency, and online banking share something in common. Money is never seen being transferred. An employee’s payment does not involve physical cash, but rather a check that when received by the bank will have money added to an online bank account. All of the aforementioned currencies require our trust to work.

Causal Argument-edwardnihlman

One of a Million

When someone commits a crime, it is very easy for the government or parents to blame video games, because they are not associated with them. The fact of the matter is, violent video games are only one out of many sources of increasing aggression, and it is not even one that is directly correlated with criminal activity. If people would dig deeper, they would find that the those who would easily blame video games and other media for mass murders and other crimes, almost have a motive to. An individual’s environment, upbringing, and society have huge impacts on their level of aggression, and as such, also can contribute to criminal activity.

A huge topic of debate is whether or not the way society in the United States is structured puts many people at a disadvantage to excel. Whether that is true or not is irrelevant, but if people who are at the lower end of the spectrum are more prone to violence, it would definitely not help the government’s case. Unfortunately for them, an experiment performed by Tobias Greitemeyer and Christina Sagioglou proves that people of a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be aggressive than those of a higher status. This proves that just being from a poor or even middle class family might make one aggressive. The need for money might even cause someone to rob a bank, murder someone, or some other crime.

Furthermore, Jennifer Welsh wrote about a study by Michael Lorber which discovered that an aggressive personality can be formed due to negative parenting when a child is still an infant. Since a baby is very impressionable, a parent’s negative treatment towards the child and around the child can assist in building a violent mind that could later commit crimes.

To get to the point, violent video games are a proven cause of aggressive behavior in people, but it is not the only cause. Besides the ones mentioned, there are other reasons for increasing aggressive behavior, some of which are not flattering for various groups of people. If attention was put on the society or parenting as a form of increasing aggression, it might make the government or parents very concerned for their own image. To counter this, they put all of the attention on interactive media.

However, some might say that while there are other causes of aggression, violent video games as a cause is the most noteworthy one, because it allows a player to control the actions and desensitize them through that. If a cause of aggression is to be considered more effective than another one, then there should be some way of identifying that. An easy argument would be that crime clearly comes from playing violent video games. That argument holds little water when a study by the American Psychological Association shows that while it has been proven that games do increase aggression, there is an inability to clearly correlate these aggressive behaviors to criminal activity, especially since aggression takes on many forms, some of which are not even physical. In the end, someone who committing a crime due to their socioeconomic status seems more apparent since they are obviously poor and have a more clear motive.

In conclusion, things such as parenting and social status are just as much a cause of aggression as violent video games. This opens the door for tons of other possible causes of violent behavior. Video games may be correlated to increasing aggression, but they are hardly the core cause of it, and more so, only play as a factor among other causes.

Works Cited

Greitemeyer, Tobias, and Christina Sagioglou. “Subjective Socioeconomic Status Causes Aggression: A Test Of The Theory Of Social Deprivation.” Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 111.2 (2016): 178-194. PsycARTICLES. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

Welsh, Jennifer. “‘Negative Parenting’ Starts Aggressive Personalities Early.” Live Science. N.p., 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Definition Argument-edwardnihlman

Does Aggression Equal Violence?

Aggressive behavior does not necessarily mean violence. For decades, politicians and parents have been blaming violent video games as the catalyst for violent behavior in those who play them. A year ago, the American Psychological Association released a study indicating that video games do increase aggression and decrease empathy and sensitivity. At face value, one might think that this proves the claims correct, and that video games do incite violence out of its audience. However, this study does not quite prove that. The study says violent video games increase aggressive behavior, but there is still no correlation between this changed behavior and outright violence.

To better understand what I mean, one must better understand what aggressive behavior entails. According to the University of North Carolina, aggressive behavior is a persistent pattern of behavior that causes or threatens harm to people. Aggression is seen in many forms. There are verbal forms such as taunts and threats. Physical forms such as tantrums, throwing, and fights. Covert forms such as lying, stealing and drug use. Besides, these there are many other types. The fact of the matter is that some forms of aggression are less severe than others. Without a doubt, any form of physical aggression can easily lead to violence, but other forms such as lying or taunting are less clear. With such a broad spectrum of what is considered aggression, saying violent video games causes aggressive activities is a weak argument in blaming them for violent crimes.

To elaborate, someone who plays violent video games might end up being more prone to taunt others. They may even lie or steal more often. There is even the potential that these games could lead to a violent crime, but each form of aggression listed above is very different. Whether it be verbal or physical, noticeable or subtle. There is nothing that truly links one form of aggression to another, besides them just being a form of aggression. Violent video games may only increase one form of aggressive behavior, or it could increase all of them. Despite the research done, there is not enough to pinpoint violent behavior as an effect of increased aggression. In turn, this also means there is not enough to indicate violent behavior as an effect of video games.

Works Cited

American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Fraser, Mark W., James K. Nash, Maeda J. Galinsky, and Kathleen M. Darwin. “The Making Choices Program: Social Problem- Solving Skills …” University of North Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.