Violent Video Games and Increase of Aggressiveness Research Proposal

Violent Video Games and Increase of Aggressiveness - Research Proposal Example These games are violent in nature, some with parental warnings regarding violence, blood, and gore. Examples of such video games include titles like Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, and Sega's Primal Rage. All of these games intertwine a character-driven storyline with adventures and quests, including personal combat which requires the player to fight with and kill, various adversaries in an extremely violent way. While earlier versions of such games, such as Quake or Doom, were more plot-driven and less gratuitously violent, many of the more recent industry offerings (known as "first-person shooter" games) have escalated the combat element in favor of increasingly difficult opponents, more sophisticated weaponry, and an unhealthy focus on domination. As Bok points out, "players are rewarded for slashing, gouging, or shooting their opponents...[and are able] to see with the eyes of the killer holding the gun." (1999, p. 37) In fact, other researchers have determined that in the most p opular games, harming other characters is the primary activity and that killing occurs at a high rate. (Cicchirillo and Chory-Assad, 2005, p. 436).