Final answer:
Studies suggest a link between playing violent video games and increased aggressive behavior, though there's debate over causation versus correlation and the potential impact of other factors. Research indicates that violent games can foster aggressive thoughts, emotions, and desensitization towards violence.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to various studies on the effects of playing violent video games, there is evidence to suggest an increase in aggressive behavior. Researchers such as Anderson, Bushman, and their colleagues have conducted extensive reviews and meta-analyses, concluding that playing violent video games can result in an increase in aggressive thoughts, emotions, and physiological arousal, potentially leading to more aggressive behavior. It has been noted that the consumption of violent media, including video games, can lead to heightened expectations that violence is a solution to problems, increased violent behavioral scripts, and desensitization to violent acts, making them more acceptable or less shocking.
Despite these findings, some scholars argue that further research is needed to disentangle the correlational and causational aspects of media violence and behavior. Christopher Ferguson and others have pointed out that other risk factors for aggression, such as mental health and family life, need to be accounted for in these studies. It's also worth mentioning that a direct link between playing violent video games and committing criminal violence has not been definitively established through research.