The effect of playing violent video games and gender on aggression among first year students in Iloilo National High School

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the effects of playing violent video games and gender on aggression among first-year high school students. The experimental design utilized two treatment groups and two control groups. The four groups consisted of (1) males who played the violent videogame; (2) females who played the violent videogame; (3) males who played the nonviolent videogame; and (4) females who played the nonviolent videogame.

In this study, aggression was measured using the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scales (DIAS). The DIAS consists of 24 items that measure physical, verbal, and indirect aggression. Prior to the administration of the DIAS, the participants were first asked to play video games. Two groups were assigned to play a violent video game, and the other two groups played a nonviolent game.

The participants’ scores in the DIAS were computed and analyzed using the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with interaction. This is done to show if the variables type of video game played and gender significantly affect aggression among adolescents. The two-way ANOVA with interaction yielded three computed values of F. Results show that there is a significant F-ratio on the variable type of video game played. The obtained F is 5.45, and an F of 4.26 is required at the 0.05 level with 1 and 27 df. Since 5.45 is greater than 4.26, the null hypothesis is rejected. Thus, the conclusion is that the type of video game played has a significant effect on aggression among first-year high school students.

However, the F-ratio derived for the variable gender was not significant. The obtained F is 3.59, and an F of 4.26 is required at the 0.05 level with 1 and 27 df. Since the value of F is less than 4.26, the null hypothesis on gender is accepted. Thus, gender has no significant effect on aggression among first-year high school students.

The F ratio derived for the interaction of the two variables is also not significant. The computed value of F., which is only 0.297, is less than 4.26. The null hypothesis, thus, is rejected. This leads to the conclusion that the type of videogame played and gender do not interact to affect aggression.