A new study finds that people playing violent video games do not display noteworthy, different aggressive behavior levels, than those playing non-violent video games.

Paul Adachi, a PhD candidate from Brock University, is conducting a study to measure the video game characteristics that could influence a person’s level of aggression such as pace of action, difficulty level, and competitiveness.

Previous academic studies have shown correlations between violent video games and aggressive behavior, but Adachi says they have overlooked one key factor. These researchers have set up a cause-and-effect between the two, but do not expose comprehension of the actual games being played.

Adachi firmly believes these characteristics are critical to understanding this correlation. These factors could have a future effect on the development of marketing and ratings, as well as content for the very profitable video game industry.

In a separate study, Adachi has also discovered that those playing violent video games did not necessarily display more aggressive behavior than those playing non-violent video games. This finding verifies that there are other factors at play other than just the level of violence depicted in the game. Working with psychology professor Teena Wiloughby, Adachi will study the impact of the competitiveness trait.

As part of the Adolescent Development Laboratory, Adachi is often seen running experiments with volunteers in two-way observation rooms on the sixth floor of the Plaza Building.

Adachi is one of several students who presented research at “Developing the Well-Rounded Child,” a part of the Mapping the New Knowledge graduate student conference.

This research comes at an opportune time, as last year a California law prohibiting the sale of violent video games to minors, was dismissed as unconstitutional. The case will go to the Supreme court, giving video game and aggression researchers ample reasons to gain support from other academics. They want to emphasize that there is already a clear link between violent video games and aggression.

From past research, it has been established that most players portray video game characters as real and therefore interactions made with them are interpreted as interpersonal interactions. This can be a predictor of moral actions and decisions in real life for avid gamers.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald