The article is authored by Carey Benedict, and it focuses on the impacts of violent games on the behaviors of their players. According to the article, although violent games increase the levels of hostile behaviors (albeit mildly) among their players, they only constitute one contributing factor. Consequently, there is no concrete research that proves that violent video games are the only causes of violent acts among their players.
The article continues by using relatable social examples in order to form a connection between violent gaming and social behaviors. The author first fields some scientific experiments that deal with this issue and then cite other experts in the field. The article concludes that the effects of violent games on social behaviors are often misconstrued.
The author uses various approaches when forwarding the evidence that supports his assertions. First, the author utilizes the views of various researchers to support the premise that video gaming has only mild effects on social behaviors. One of the researchers who are cited in this article is Michael Ward, a scholar from the University of Texas. The research from Ward and his colleagues is used to indicate that the sales trends of violent video games do not necessarily coincide with those of violent crimes. The author also uses raw data from various research studies to support the article’s thesis.
For example, the article cites how a group of test subjects was allowed to play some popular violent games (“Mortal Kombat” and “Deadly Alliance”) and later exhibited a higher rate of aggression (Carey, 2013). The raw data approach is of importance because it proves the article’s thesis through the input of collaborators. Another example of outside research that is featured in the article is from recognizable institutions of higher learning such as Canada’s Brock University. This tactic gives the article’s subject matter a global perspective. Another way that the author uses evidence to support his assertions is through the reliance on popular media.
The author uses research together with examples from popular media in order to get through to the readers. The core element of the article’s research shows the correlation between violent games and real-life examples of violence. For example, the author cites popular incidences of school shootings and well-known videogames such as “Deadly Alliance” and “Mortal Kombat.” The inclusion of popular references in the articles enables readers to investigate the author’s evidence on their own terms.
The usage of evidence is signaled through various means. For instance, the author gives the credentials of the researchers whose work is cited in the article. One of the cited scholars is Dr. Ward, and the author gives his researcher’s credentials as part of “European Economic Research” (Carey, 2013). The usage of chronological timelines is another signal of the author’s evidence because it highlights the logical connections between various developments.
Consequently, this signal provides evidence that the proliferation of violent games within the society has not necessarily led to a rise in levels of violence. Another prominent signal is government-sanctioned data in combination with scientific evidence. Government statistics are often released in the interest of the public. Therefore, transitioning to public statistics indicates that the author has the public interest as one of his agendas. Word choices are another signal that the author uses to compare opposing pieces of evidence. For example, the author uses phrases such as “nobody knows for sure,” “it could be that,” and “point of view” in order to make sure that all sides of the argument are presented in equal terms.
References
Carey, B. (2013). Shooting in the dark. Web.