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　　source：psychologytodaybyBrianH。BornsteinandMonicaK。Miller
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　　Debateaboutwhetherviolentvideogamesencouragereallifeviolencecontinuesunabated，withtheBBCreporting（linkisexternal）thatmorethan200academicsrecentlysignedanopenletter（linkisexternal）criticizingcontroversialnewresearchsupportingsuchalink。
　　Theresearchwasconductedbyataskforce（linkisexternal）setupbytheAmericanPsychologicalAssociationtoreviewhundredsofstudiesonthetopic。Itfoundaconsistentrelationbetweenviolentvideogameuseandincreasesinaggressivebehaviour，aggressivecognitionsandaggressiveaffect，anddecreasesinprosocialbehaviour，empathyandsensitivitytoaggression。
　　Thesignatoriestotheletterarguethatmanyofthestudiesthereportciteswerenotpeerreviewed，andthatthetaskforcefailedtodistinguishbetweenshortandlongertermeffects。IfyouplaythreehoursofCallofDutyyoumightfeelalittlebitpumped，butyouarenotgoingtogooutandmugsomeone，oneoftheletterscoauthors，DrMarkCoulson，associateprofessorofpsychologyatMiddlesexUniversity，toldtheBBC。
　　Theletter，whichwassignedby230academicsfromuniversitiesaroundtheworld，notesthatyouthviolenceintheUSandaroundtheworldisata40yearlow。Thisdeclineinsocietalviolenceisinconflictwithclaimsthatviolentvideogamesandinteractivemediaareimportantpublichealthconcerns，theywrite。
　　SPSSIanditsmembershavelongbeenconcernedaboutthepossiblerealworldeffectsofmediaviolence。SPSSIsApril2014statementonthetopicisavailablehere（linkisexternal）。ButSPSSImembersweregrapplingwiththeissuelongbeforethen。InthisMay2006issueofJudicialNotebook（linkisexternal），BrianBornsteinandMonicaMillerdiscusshowpsychologistscanhelpreducethenegativeimpactofvideogamesandtheirpotentialroleassessingandassigningresponsibilityforspecificincidentsofviolenceincriminaltrials。
　　WhenteenagerDevinMoorewastakentojailonsuspicionofcartheft，heseizedanofficersgun，fatallyshotthreeofficersandstoleapatrolcartomakehisgetaway。Moore，whofrequentlyplayedthegameGrandTheftAuto，laterstated，Lifeislikeavideogame。Youhavetodiesometime。ThisincidentinFayette，Ala。，fueledconcernsovertheeffectsofviolentgames。Concernsalsoexistovergamescontainingsexualcontent，druguse，prostitutionandbullyingbehavior。
　　Violencesimpact
　　Negativeeffectsofgamescouldhaveawidespreadimpact，as70percentofchildrenowngames，withboysaveraging13hoursofgameplayaweekandgirlsaveragingfive，accordingtoa2002studybyD。A。Gentileamp；amp；D。A。WalshintheJournalofAppliedDevelopmentalPsychology（Vol。23，No。2，pages157178）anda1999KaiserFamilyFoundationreport，KidsandMediaattheNewMillennium。Thus，itisnosurprisethatpsychologistshaveexploredthenegativeeffectsofplayingvideogames。Recently，APAreviewedrelevantliteratureandadoptedaresolutioncallingforthereductionofallviolenceinvideogamesandinteractivemediamarketedtochildrenandyouth。Amongtheassociationsconcernsisthatviolenceingamesteacheschildrenthatviolencecansuccessfullyresolveconflicts。Additionally，APAstatedaconcernthatvideogamesmaybemoreharmfulthanothermediabecauseoftheirinteractivenature（www。psychologymatters。orgvideogames。html（linkisexternal））。Mediaincludingvideogamesarealsoassociatedwithpoorschoolperformance，gambling，substanceabuseandlowphysicalactivity（see，e。g。，a1995studybyS。E。FisherintheJournalofGamblingStudies〔Vol。11，No。3，pages239247〕a2004JournalofAdolescencestudy〔Vol。27，No。1，pages522〕byD。A。Gentileandcolleagues；a1996ArchivesofPediatricandAdolescentMedicinestudy〔Vol。150，No。4，pages356362〕byS。L。Gortmakerandcolleagues；andR。T。Woods2004JournalofChildamp；amp；AdolescentSubstanceAbusestudy〔Vol。14，No。1，pages77100〕）。Becauseteenshavelowerimpulsecontrolthanadults，theymaybemoresusceptibletonegativeeffects。Forexample，afterplayinghoursofshootinggames，ateensuchasDevinMooremayimpulsivelyshoototherpeopleinareallifesituation。Thoughresultsofsomestudieshavebeencontroversial（e。g。，criticsarguethatnegativeeffectsareshortlived）andotherstudieshavefoundpositiveeffectsofgames（e。g。，increasinghandeyecoordination），thepopularnotionisthatgameshavelargelynegativeeffectsonchildren。
　　AlthoughvideogamesareratedbytheEntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard（ESRB），thereisnolegalregulationofgamesorgamesales。Thus，eachstoredecideswhethertosellgamesratedasMaturetominors。Somelegislatures，believingthattheindustrysselfregulationisnotenough，haveactedtopreventtheirsalestominors。In2005，CaliforniaandIllinoisadoptedlawspreventingstoresfromsellingorrentingsexuallyexplicitorextremelyviolentgamestominors。However，bothlawshavemetresistancefromthejudiciary。Forinstance，theU。S。federalcourtinCaliforniarecentlydeterminedthattherewasnotacausalconnectionbetweenviolentgamesandviolentbehaviors，andthatanyrestrictionongameswouldviolatethegamemakersFirstAmendmentfreedomofspeechrights。Itconsequentlystruckdownthelaw。
　　Psychologistsrole
　　Sowhat，then，canbedonetoprotectchildrenfrompossiblenegativeeffectsofgames？Psychologistscanplayanintegralpartinprotectingchildren。First，theycancontinuetoresearchtheeffectsofgames，especiallylongtermeffects。Second，theycanstudythecontentofgamestoinvestigatethecommonnotionthatgamesarebecomingmoreextreme。Third，psychologistscanstudyminorscognitivedevelopmentanddecisionmakingtodetermineifgameshavemoreimpactonminorsthanadults。Asparentscanhelplimitnegativeeffectsbymonitoringgameplay，psychologistscancontinuetostudyhowparentalinvolvementcanmoderatethenegativeeffectsofgameplaying。Theycaneducateparentsontheimportanceofmonitoringgameplayandunderstandingthegameratingsystem。Inaddition，psychologistscanplayanimportantroleinpromotingregulationofgames。Researchcanbedisseminatedtolegislators，retailersandtheESRBtodiscouragemarketingandsalestochildren。Finally，psychologistscanpromotethedevelopmentanduseofeducationalgamesthatteachpositiveproblemsolvingskills。Throughtheseactions，psychologistscanhelpreducethenegativeimpactofvideogames。
　　Itislikelythatthejudicialsystemwillbecallingonpsychologistsmoreinthefuturetoanswerquestionsabouteffectsofgames。Psychologistswillbeabletoinformlegislaturesandcourtsthatareconsideringlawsthatwouldregulategamesorsales。Inaddition，psychologistswillbecalledtotestifyincriminaltrials。Forinstance，DevinMooresdefenseattorneyclaimedthatheshouldbeshownleniencybecausehisexposuretoGrandTheftAutowarpedhismindandledhimtocommitmurder。Psychologistswillalsobeconsultedinciviltrials。In2005，victimsofDevinMooresshootingrampagefiledalawsuitagainstthemakersofGrandTheftAuto，claimingthatthecompanycreatedamurdersimulatorthattrainedDevintocommitmurder。Throughcontinuedstudyanddisseminationofresearch，psychologistscanhelpprotectchildrenandinformthelegalsystemastotheeffectsofvideogames。