Essay Sample: If Playing Video Games Increases Aggressive Behavior Among Children

The research methodology chosen to answer the study question if playing video games increases aggressive behavior in children is surveys.

I chose to use survey method to study the children aged between 7-12 years of age in the state of Louisiana. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by the research participants. (n.d.).The survey can be delivered as paper and pencil questionnaires, administered electronically or conducted verbally.

The first step is to choose the sample to use since children aged between the ages of 7-12 years are a large population. To have a genuinely representative sample I want children who have an equal chance of being in the sample. The random sample must be reasonably significant in this case a sample of 100 children. The sample is adequate and represents the composition of the town. I can be able to survey all the children efficiently.

Once the sample has been verified to not contain any bias I chose the questionnaires as the method of data collection. The questions were designed to reflect the primary aim of the study.

The sample selected is divided into the experimental group and the control group. The participants are assigned into the two groups by random assignment. Then a statistical software randomly assign the children to each team that is either experimental or the control group. The two groups would be subjected to two experimental conditions. One is playing a neutral video game and the other is playing a violent video game. The children are to be allowed to play for an hour for both groups. The children then complete questionnaires to assess their attitudes towards the game.

The other method one can use to research if playing video games increases aggressive behaviors in children is the cross sectional study. Cross-sectional research will involve studying the children but they will differ in their ages. The first group will be the children aged between 712 years of age. The second team will be children aged between 16-18 years of age. The sample are chosen randomly of 100 children in both categories. The children are the separated by statistical software between the two groups that is the experimental group and the control group.

In cross sectional study we have to define what will be considered as aggressive behavior. In this case we will find physical acts, angry verbal exchanges as aggressive behavior. The participants will also be subjected to two experimental conditions that is playing a neutral video game and playing a violent video game for an hour. In this case we will have four groups for the entire experiment.

Thus we will have four observers to record the childrens behavior and both will be unaware so as to control the experiment and avoid any form of bias. The survey will not only show if playing violent video games affects children but also if the age group matters in this study.

Survey in this case will be less costly compared to the cross sectional research. The only cost will be the cost of printing the questionnaires. The other thing is the convenience of conveying the surveys to the participants.

The disadvantage of the survey will be that we cannot be able to get the actual response we require compared to if we did an observational study. The children will give answers that may hinder the critical objective the research is out to show.

The cross sectional research is relatively quick and easy to conduct. No follow ups will be required. All the variables needed are collected at once within our four groups. The weakness of cross sectional research though is the difficulty in determining whether the outcome was as a result of exposure to this single video game or some other factors in time.

Questionnaires are sensitive for misinterpretation and the subjectivity of the participant may affect the outcome. Therefore the survey and form ensures that the questions measure the critical focus of research. Validity expresses the degree to which a measurement measures what it purports to measure. The questions rates aggressive behavior like how one reacts when angered or provoked. Also the question will rate the acceptability behavior for example if another child did something to another how would they take it. Their some questions about aggressive fantasies. These issues will measure precisely what the research is about. The problems are reliable based on similar survey studies conducted previously hence its reliable.

The variable in the cross sectional study is the act of violence or the verbal exchanges. It measures our fundamental aim of the research. The measure is valid as it shows the exact observation of the study. The children play both a violent and a non -violent video game. The variable shows the response that is anticipated once the child plays the video game. The measurement is reliable as the different groups between the age groups use the same variable for measurement.

Through the survey study the findings will enable us to know if the playing the violent video games has any correlation on aggressive behavior. The responses to the questions will help determine whether there is any correlation between violent video game and aggressive behavior.

Cross sectional research will sometimes be challenging to make the conclusions about causality between violent video game playing and aggressive behavior because the observation made is one time. The observation may or may not be because of the violent video playing. The different age groups also may react differently to the video games given their maturity levels.

References

Ch. 2 Psyc Vocab Flashcards | Quizlet. Retrieved from https://quizlet.com/148879517/ch-2-psyc-vocab-flash-cards/

Psychological Research. (1995). doi:10.4324/9780203138151