A recent study conducted by the Department of Psychology at Ohio State University looked to further research the possible link between violent video games and real world aggression. For this study, researchers paired off 220 kids, aged eight to 12, and assigned them to one of three versions of Minecraft. Some kids were assigned to a version of Minecraft with no violence, another with sword violence, and another with gun violence. The kids played the game for 20 minutes, and then were led to another room with toys that included a cabinet with disabled, but real, handguns.

76 children played the version of Minecraft with gun violence and 62 percent of those kids played with a handgun. 74 children played the version of Minecraft with sword violence, and 57 percent of those children played with a gun. 70 children played the nonviolent version of Minecraft, and out of those kids, 44 percent touched a gun.

Researchers also found that children who played the violent versions of Minecraft were more likely to point the gun at themselves or their partner and pull the trigger than those who played the nonviolent version. Additionally, kids who admitted to "consumption of violent media" at home were at greater risk of pointing the gun at themselves or their partner and pulling the trigger.

Study: Kids Who Play Violent Games Are More Likely to Engage with Real Guns

The researchers in the study acknowledged that there are a couple of limitations to it. For one, the study was conducted in an artificial laboratory setting as opposed to a real-world environment. Secondly, even when playing Minecraft with guns and swords, it's still not a very violent game with no blood or gore. Researchers of the study said that they could not ethically expose children to more violent games that wouldn't be appropriate for their age group. Their recommendation is for gun owners to properly secure their weapons and for parents to try to reduce kids' exposure to violent video games.

This is far from the first study to look into a possible link between violent video games and real-world aggression. Over the years, the studies have often contradicted one another, with some studies finding a link between violent video games and aggression, and other studies finding no link at all.

It's clear that more research is needed on the subject. And with the World Health Organization classifying gaming disorder as a disease come 2022, it's likely that there will be plenty more research on video games and the way they impact players, especially kids, in the coming years.

Source: JAMA Network (via Science Daily)