Politicians pushed for a crackdown on violent video games after speculation arose that they spurred Newtown school shooter Adam Lanza - who had autism spectrum disorder - to commit one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history, killing 26 children and educators before taking his own life.
But a new study from the University of Missouri indicates that violent video games do not increase aggression in adults with autism spectrum disorder any more than they do in people without autism.
The study – which was recently accepted for publication in the journal Psychological Science – is the first of its kind to test the effects of violent video games on aggression in adults with autism spectrum disorder, according to Engelhardt.
Researchers examined 120 young adults – 60 who had autism spectrum disorder, and 60 who showed normal neurological development. Participants played one of two versions of a violent video game. The first, which contained heightened graphic imagery, called for players to shoot aliens on a military base in space. The second game had subdued graphics and a noble mission to help the creatures find their way back to their home planet.
The results, experts say, were surprising – and not just because they found that short-term exposure to violent video games didn’t amplify aggression in adults with autism.
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Category(s):Aggression & Violence, Autism spectrum disorders
Source material from USNews
