RJA #6c: Field Research Options

As far as field research for my topic of, psychological effects of video games on children, I have been mostly considering doing an interview. One interview that I had contemplated is with my psychology 1001 professor. The interview would consist of a list of questions that I would come up with relative to my topic, and then schedule a place and time to conduct the interview, and whether it be done via e-mail, in person or on the phone. Another source I had recently considered would be finding an expert on Allexperts and submit my list of questions to them. A third option that I have considered but am not so sure about is actually going online and submitting a survey to be done on the topic, or even going onto xbox live, which is where you can find "gamers" and survey people I found on there. The last idea I do not think will work very well since they do not use their real names on there and would probably be pretty reluctant on giving out that information. Also the validity of the results would be biased since I'm sure they are all pretty pro video game since that is the only reason they are on that network. All in all, I feel that the interview would get me the most useful and relevant information for my research.

RJA #6b: Social Media and Multimedia

Below is my searches performed in social media search tools:

Technorati
video game psychology
Feb 25, 2010
5 hits
relevance 2



Google blog search
"video games" AND "child psychology"
Boolean, search engine math
Feb 25. 2010
1,370 hits
relevance 1



blinkx
"video games" AND psychology
Boolean, search engine math
Feb 25, 2010
42 hits
relevance 2

RJA #6a: Websites

The following are web searches that I performed for my topic of psychological effects of video games on children:

Google Scholar
Video game, psychology
Advanced Search, social sciences
Feb 25, 2010
63,200 hits
relevance 3



Yahoo directory
"video game" AND psychology
Boolean and search engine math
Feb 25, 2010
145
relevance 1



Allplus
"video games" AND psychology
Boolean, search engine math
Feb 25, 2010
137
relevance 4



IncyWincy
"video games" AND psychology
Boolean, search engine math
Feb 25, 2010
15,326
relevance 3

RJA #5c: Reference Articles

This is a list of reference articles that I have found:

Ian Parker
Intelli games
Ian Parker- A Writers Portal
Digital Universe
August 5, 2008
http://www.trunity.net/ianparker/articles/view/134524/?topic=14562



Minister Stephen
Non-Violent Games Please
Light of Life Society
Digital Universe
May 28, 2008
http://www.digitaluniverse.net/LightofLifeSociety/blogs/view/133050/

RJA #5a: Books

Here is a list of books that I have currently found on my topic:

James Paul Gee
What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
New York
Palgrave Macmillan
2007



Geoffery R Loftus, Elizabeth F Loftus
Mind at Play: The Psychology of Video Games
New York, NY
Basic Books
1983



Douglas A Gentile, David A Walsh
The Impact of Video Games on Children and Youth
Informed Educator Series
Arlington, VA
Educational Research Service
2001



United States. Congress. Senate, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
The Impact of Interactive Violence on Children: Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce
Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One hundred Sixth Congress Second
Session, March 21, 2000
National Government Publication
United States; Congress; Senate; S. hrg
Washington
US GPO
2003

RJA #5b: Periodical Articles

The following are articles that I have found so far on my topic:

Mark D. Griffiths
Video Games and Health: Video Gaming is Safe for Most Players and Can be Useful in health
Care
BMJ: British Medical Journal
Vol. 331, No. 7509
July 16, 2005
pp. 122-123



Mark D. Griffiths
Playing Video Games Seems to Have few Serious Acute Adverse Effects on Health
BMJ: British Medical Journal
Vol. 324, No. 7346
May 11, 2002
p. 1159



Craig A. Anderson, Brad J. Bushman
Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive cognition, Aggressive
Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Pro social Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the
Scientific Literature
Psychological Science
Vol. 12, No.5
September 2001
pp. 353-359

RJA #4c: Research Question Check

http://carmelosbornresearchjournal.blogspot.com/2010/02/rja-3c-research-question.html
http://brandoncarmack31-eng1020.blogspot.com/2010/02/rja-3c-research-question.html

RJA# 4b: Search Strings

+"video games" +psychology
+video +game -movie +child +psychology
+entertainment +therapy
+"violent behavior" +multimedia


children AND psycholgy
entertainment NEAR child psychology
xbox AND violent behavior

RJA #4a: Keywords

Psychological Video games
Psychologist Video gamer
Psychology


Mentality Entertainment
Subconscious Multimedia
Chemical reaction Computer game
Thought process Educational
Therapy Physical movement
Behavior Nintendo
Emotional Xbox
Cereberal Playstation


Social Science-Psychology-branches-child psychology

Recreation-games-video games-issues-violence

RJA #3c: Research Question

Who is most effected by the violence in video games?
What stimuli in the games, if any, cause the aggressive behavior in children?
When do violent video games start affecting children's behavior?
Where should the problem be solved, at home, or at the companies?
How should the video game industry control who can purchase these games?
Why do parents allow their children to play violent video games?
Should there be more legislation passed restricting violent content?
Would more legislation to censor be a violation of our civil rights?

RJA #3b: Research Topic Focus

Here is a list of questions that could be debated on my subject:

-Cause children to be more violent
-Children becoming desensitized to violence
-Excessive use cause child obesity
-Increases hand eye coordination
-Children become more tech savvy, adapt easier to new technologies
-Bad for the eyes
-Lack of concentration in school
-Lack of fitness
-Inappropriate material too easy for children to obtain
-Children become lazy
-Makes children less sociable
-Video games can be educational
-Can also be used as exercise (Wii)
-Should increase pressure on parents
-Legislation should be passed in making it harder for children to obtain violent
video games

RJA #3a: Research Topic Exploration

I began research into my topic of psychological effects of video games in children initially in Google Scholar. So far in my analysis of what I have found, it appears that there are numerous articles and studies done that show increased aggressive behavior in children after they play violent video games. In continuing my research I plan to delve deeper and see how these levels compare to individuals that actually commit violent acts. My opinion at this moment is that despite video games causing an increase in aggressive thoughts, in order to cross that line of I think I can and I am doing is more greatly effected by other stimuli. It seems this is going to take a lot of research as the studies I have found have been pretty recent, and they all state that there has not been an adequate amount of studies done to make a solid decision on whether or not these video games are causing harmful psychological damage to our youth.