She Said/He Said: A Peaceful Debate on Video Game Violence Christopher J. Ferguson Stetson University Elly A. Konijn VU University Amsterdam and The Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) The present article aims to discuss the media violence debate in a cordial manner between 2 scholars who differ in their views on media violence effects research. Although the media violence debate often seems obfuscated by a ` priori fixed positions that leave little room for nuances, the scholars who discuss their points of view in the current article wish to show that it’s possible for 2 scholars with differing views, and different cultural backgrounds (i.e., U.S.A. vs. Europe), to discuss research on both “sides” in respectful ways. In the current dialogue–article, they take turns in asking questions, express concerns, and provide answers to enrich each other’s thinking and eventually the body of knowledge. They address topics like the complexity of explain- ing human behavior and thus effects of media behavior, the issue of defining violent games and measuring aggression, media effects as a public health concern, cultural differences in views on sex and violence in the media, moral values as well as their own position as parents observing their teenager’s media use. In sharing their thoughts, they enrich the scientific debate on the pertinent issue of media effects and suggest direc- tions for future research. Keywords: video games, violence, aggression, debate Some recently published papers in a leading journal demonstrate that the debate on media violence effects is a lively one with opinions that vary largely and consensus on how to read the research results does not seem to be within reach (Anderson et al., 2010; Ferguson & Kil- burn, 2010; both in Psychological Bulletin). On the one hand, scholars claim that exposure to violent media content, in particular as portrayed in contemporary sophisticated digital games, may have harmful effects in terms of increased aggressiveness (affect, cognitions, and behav- ior; Anderson et al., 2010; Bartholow, Bush- man, & Sestir, 2006; Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, & Eron, 2003; Konijn, Nije Bijvank, & Bushman, 2007; Krahé, 2014). On the other hand, scholars claim that exposure to video game violence has negligible effects on aggres- sion (Adachi & Willoughby, 2011; Breuer, Vo- gelgesang, Quandt, & Festl, in press; Ferguson & Kilburn, 2009; Przybylski, Deci, Rigby, & Ryan, 2014; von Salisch, Vogelgesang, Kristen, & Oppl, 2011). We acknowledge that many scholars go beyond the violence inherent in a lot of gameplay by investigating, for example, pos- itive effects on spatial orientation, strategic planning, or fine motor skills (Kühn, Gleich, Lorenz, Lindenberger, & Gallinat, 2014; Oka- gaki & Frensch, 1994), or benefits for personal health, learning, and development (Granic, Lo- bel, & Engels, 2014; Kato, Cole, Bradlyn, & Pollock, 2008). However, our dialogue in the following focuses on whether aggression effects from violent media use do/don’t exist. Cer- tainly, scholars from both sides acknowledge that aggressive behavior originates in a number of factors, yet, not all agree that exposure to media violence, or playing violent video games, is one of those causes or risk factors. Opinions as expressed in various papers often seem polarized and may also reflect intense debates on the topic taking place in the public sphere and in politics. Perhaps, the debate may sometimes get a little more heated than actually Christopher J. Ferguson, Department of Psychology, Stetson University; Elly A. Konijn, Department of Commu- nication Science, VU University Amsterdam and The Neth- erlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS). Correspondence concerning this article should be ad- dressed to Christopher J. Ferguson, Department of Psychol- ogy, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Boulevard, De- Land, FL 32729. E-mail: CJFerguson1111@aol.com This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly. Psychology of Popular Media Culture © 2015 American Psychological Association 2015, Vol. 4, No. 1, 000 2160-4134/15/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000064 AQ: au AQ: 1 1 tapraid5/ppm-ppm/ppm-ppm/ppm00215/ppm0227d15z xppws S=1 12/30/14 3:42 Art: 2014-1177 APA NLM