משחק ותוקפנות: השפעת משחקים דיגיטליים אלימים ואסטרטגיות משחק על רמת התוקפנות אצל ילדים

A significant portion of today's digital games, including the mass multiplayer
digital games contain major elements of violence. In recent years, these
games have become popular among all population groups and gender, from
young children to adults. Despite extensive research conducted on this
subject, to date, the effect of violent digital games on the level of aggression
among children has not been satisfactorily clarified. This study explored the
effect of violent and non-violent mass multiplayer games, and the effect
game-strategy (competitive or collaborative) on the level of aggression
among children. Fifty-six children (28 girls and 28 boys) aged 10-12 years
old participated in this study. The participants played digital games and
answered questionnaires, designed to check the effect of the game on level of
aggression. Findings show that game strategy had a significant effect on
participants' level of aggression (for example, aggression level decreased
after playing a collaborative violent game, among children with a high basic
aggression level). On the other hand, it was found that the presence or lack of
violence in the game had no effect on participants' level of aggression (for
example, aggression level did not increase after a competitive violent game).
Surprisingly, an increase in aggression was found after participating in a nonviolent
competitive game. No gender differences were found. In light of the
lower levels of aggression observed after playing collaborative games, it is
suggested to focus future studies on the implications of our findings to the
integration of collaborative digital games in collaborative learning and in
other collaborative work processes, in order to reduce aggression.