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With the Singapore government’s emphasis on developing the gaming industry, the
increasing amount of time students are spending playing with digital games, and the violent
nature of some of these games, there is some cause for concern. Educators and parents are afraid
of the negative effects that such games may have on their children. It is therefore important to
examine the impacts of videogame play on youth. The aim of this study is to investigate
teenagers’ gaming habits and aggressive tendencies in Singapore. Based on the General
Aggression Model (Anderson & Bushman, 2002), research suggests that exposure to media
violence may affect attitudes and behaviour. This study documents current adolescents’ digital
game-playing habits in Singapore, and explores associations among frequency of visits to
gaming centers, amount of play, cognitive benefits, in-game attitudes, in-game behaviour, and
aggressive tendencies. Two hundred and eighteen Secondary two students participated in the
study, data was collected using self-report surveys administered in their schools. Results showed
a significant relationship between gamers who played more frequently and real world aggression.
Importantly, this study also demonstrated a correlation between in-game attitudes and in-game
behaviour, and that in-game aggressive behaviour predicts real life aggression. The findings are
presented and discussed in terms of the benefits and risks violent video games may have on
youth, including their implications for research and policy.
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