01-04-2007 | Original Paper | Uitgave 3/2007
Digital Game Playing and Direct and Indirect Aggression in Early Adolescence: The Roles of Age, Social Intelligence, and Parent-Child Communication
- Tijdschrift:
- Journal of Youth and Adolescence > Uitgave 3/2007
Belangrijke opmerkingen
Marjut Wallenius is a Senior researcher, Department of Psychology, University of Tampere. She is currently conducting a longitudinal study on information and communication technology and adolescent development and health.
Raija-Leena Punamäki is a Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Tampere. She is specialized in mental health, child development, and family relationships among trauma victims. Her research interests also include symbolic processes such as playing, dreaming and imagination.
Arja Rimpelä is a Professor, Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere. Her research has focused on adolescent health and health behaviors, socio-demographic health differences, and evaluation of health promotion activities.
Abstract
The roles of age, social intelligence and parent-child communication in moderating the association between digital game playing and direct and indirect aggression were examined in 478 Finnish 10- and 13-year-old schoolchildren based on self-reports. The results confirmed that digital game violence was directly associated with direct aggression, especially at age 10, but only among boys. The moderating role of social intelligence was substantiated among older boys: game violence was associated with indirect aggression among those with high level of social intelligence. Further, as hypothesized, digital game playing was associated with direct aggression especially when parent-child communication was poor, but only among boys. Our findings emphasize the importance of individual and situational factors as moderators of the link between game violence and aggression.