Article,
Popular Video Games: Quantifying the Presentation of Violence and Its Context
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 47 (1): 58 (March 2003)M3: Article; Accession Number: 10247350; Smith, Stacy L.; Issue Info: Mar2003, Vol. 47 Issue 1, p58; Thesaurus Term: VIDEO games; Thesaurus Term: DIGITAL media; Number of Pages: 19p; Illustrations: 3 charts; Document Type: Article.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to content analyze 60 of the most popular video games for violence from three gaming systems: Nintendo 64, Sega DreamCast, and Sony PlayStation. Games were played for 10-minutes and videotaped for later content analysis. Adapting the coding scheme from the National Television Violence Study (Wilson et al., 1997, 1998; Smith et al., 1998), the amount as well as the context of violence in games rated for general (e.g., "E" or "K-A") or mature audiences (e.g., "T" or "M") were assessed. The results show that mature games are more likely to feature violence than are those rated for general audiences. Differences also emerged in the context of violence. When compared to general audience games, mature games are not only more likely to feature child perpetrators but also justified acts of repeated gun violence that are graphic in nature. The findings are discussed in terms of the risks interactive violence may be posing to youth. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR Copyright of Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media is the property of Broadcast Education Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts)
