Effects of Video Games On Students: An Annotated Bibliography

Effects of Video Games

Anderson, Craig A., Gentile, Douglas A., and Buckley, Katherine E. Violent Video Game Effects On Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. 2007. This scholarly text, written by Oxford Professors, presents a concise examination of past studies along with the addition of three new studies to support the claim that the debate over whether violent video games have an effect on youth is over and that energies should be devoted to the policy and practice on how to mitigate these effects. Anderson, Gentile and Buckley’s study is based largely on three overall parts that study the effect of video games on children and adolescents, and suggest the policy out of that evidence. The authors introduce the history of video games, inform of the growing trend of youth exposure to them; they explain the meaning of an aggression continuum, offer the methods of experimental, correlational and longitudinal research; moreover, they explain the theory behind the general aggression model with particular focus given to the concepts of risk and resilience. Anderson, Gentile and Buckley give the understanding of the statement that science has conclusively found that such an effect exists and that more energy should be devoted to public policies that would mitigate these effects. The given theories and debates help in understanding what effect video games have on children and adolescents, and on students particularly, and they aim at finding the ways in which, teachers and parents can manage these issues. The book can be useful for those who desire to understand the nature of those students who are addicted to video games and who want to be able to cope with the issues that can arise in regard of that activity.

Coon, Dennis, Mitterer, John O, Talbot, Shawn, and Vanchella, Christine M. Introduction To Psychology: Gateways To Mind And Behavior. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2010. This scholarly text was written in collaboration with an author who wins more awards and honors from teachers and students with each successful edition. This is a very interesting book regarding students with difficult behavior and who have a very unpredictable character. The authors have written this book with a very distinctive feature. The authors have established an effected studying system, which includes the overview, questions needed to be answered, useful information for reading, reflection problem, feedback and recommended literature that can be helpful in the learning process. This book helps on developing critical thinking because it includes a comprehensive explanation of the concepts of psychology and variety of themes. The authors have tried to include the explanation of the issue and provide a reader with examples from life. This book includes also different tools that can be useful during the learning process; it discusses the impact of psychology and provides advanced discussion of new results within the area, appropriate and affordable. This book can be very useful because it give comprehensive information about human's psychology. It can be also helpful in understanding each person, and in finding approaches to the most difficult students in order to be able to help them resolve all problems that they might have

Dowd, Nancy E, Singer, Dorothy G, and Wilson, Robin F. Handbook Of Children, Culture, And Violence. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. 2006. This scholarly text, written by Dowd, Singer and Wilson, provides information regarding violence. It discovers children violence as well as adult violence. The editors have managed to create interesting groups of participants with different characters and study their interaction. The written scholarly text is very interesting for the audience due to its balance. It includes a wide range of materials, and shows an excellent list of participants. It is full of references to legislation, politicians, explorers and families. The authors have created a good example that can be advised to every person and to lawyers, lawmakers and others who are involved in the work with children and wish to mitigate the effects of violence in the lives of young people. This book is very useful for those people who work with children and for other people who wish to be able to defend themselves from different types of violence, and to protect children and their parents from this terrible behavior.

Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Simon, Smith, Jonas H., and Tosca, Susana P. Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction. Routledge. 2008. Egenfeldt-Nielsen, CEO of Serious Games Interactive, has worked as an assistant professor at the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University. Susana Pajares Tosca, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, is a founding editor of the journal Game Studies. The book gives the complete information about the field of game studies that is developing very fast. It represents the first common introduction to that area. It contains the history of video games, discovers different theories aimed at analyzing games such as ludology and narratology, reviews the economics of the game industry, discovers the aesthetics of game design, shows the statements of different range of game genres, discovers the culture of a gamer, and considers the main argument around the gaming environment, from educational advantages to the consequences of violence. The book provides students with an understanding of the reasons why they play games and why they are so addicted to them, along with all those effects that students might have. The authors have written this book to help both, parents and their children. The reason is that it gives an understanding of the gaming environment not only to parents, but helps children to be aware of different kinds of games. This book can help children choose the game, which will have the smallest impact on them. It will guide parents to find the approaches to their children and control their games. This book is an excellent guide for everyone who is interested in video games. This book can be very useful for those who wish to research main theories that are used to analyze games, and for those who want to have a full understanding of this product, its target segment along with the marketing and long-term strategies of the companies that develop them, to know and learn the history of video games from its beginning, and discuss the main effects of both violent and “serious” games that can affect every player.

Kutner Lawrence, and Olson, Cheryl. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games And What Parents Can Do. Simon and Schuster: Family & Relationships. 2008. The book was written by Drs. Cheryl K. Olson and Lawrence Kutner, co-founders and directors of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. It has been written in the result of a research funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. The scientists discovered the effects that video games have on teenagers. The behavior of children and families in real situations was the base of the research. The given scholarly provides an understanding of how video games along with violent games can be useful for children and their parents in different unexpected situations. The author does not offer a common solution to fight this issue. He offers a multiple scheme, which adults can choose to gain an advantage from this situation. A reader will be able to clarify what video games are harmful and to use that information. A reader will be also able to manage such situations successfully. This book also gives a comprehensive understanding of the way of thinking of a gamer and an ability to find approaches to that child. It also gives knowledge of how to see which games can affect children. This book also breaks all myths and prepares parents to face the problem and not be afraid to fight against it. This scholarly text is very useful for adults, because it presents practical examples of situations that might happen in a family and solutions to resolve them.

Miller, Christopher T. Games: Purpose And Potential In Education. New York: Springer. 2008. This scholarly text, written by Christopher Thomas Miller, a Morehead State University doctor, gives a reader comprehensive information about the effects of video games on students. The author covers the field of games in full and explains the reasons why this field has been greatly developed and what are the programs that are developed nowadays. Games have become a very important part in the area of educational technology research. The author has focused on the idea to include games in the educational process and instructional design. He discovers the ideas of identity development, gender diversity, motivation, along with the instructional design. All these ideas are discussed in the book. They play an important role in the studying process. The author discusses the ideas of leading experts, researchers and instructors, which are engaged in gaming industry; moreover, the author considered hot topics in gaming and simulations, available resources along with the future of the field. This book is very useful, for parents especially, because it will help them understand how to use games for their own purposes and make their child develop.

Sax, Leonard. Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men. New York: Basic Books. 2007. This scholarly text, written by Dr. Leonard Sax, provides information regarding education of boys and the impact of the current system on them. The author examines five factors that cause an increase of the epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men. The author not only indicates these factors. He also suggests the way in which they can be resolved. Changes at schools have a bad impact on boys and prevent them from being successful in the future. Video games affect boys' brain. Information regarding ADHD and medications used to cure the disease give rather helpful information to a reader and help him/her understand every boy. Information regarding endocrine disrupters gives the information about environmental factors that affect every boy. The revenge of the forsaken gods discusses the transition from boyhood to manhood. This book helps a reader in understanding the nature of boys; as a result the readers are able to determine what problems do they have and what was a reason of its creation, and find the most appropriate solution for it.

Signorielli, Nancy. Violence In The Media: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. 2005. This scholarly text was written by Nancy Signorielli, a professor of communication at the University of Delaware in Newark. This book presents the full review of the history of video games along with comparison of the issues, effects, consequences and solutions to resolve the problem. The author provides a reader with some statistic information about violence that people face in their lives nowadays. Different researches have been also included in the book to help a reader understand in full the existing problems related to violence and video games. The scholarly text provides different examples of the issues, effects, consequences and disputes of one of the most important problem that an American society faces. It is the impact that television has on each person who spends more than 28 hours a week watching TV. The book includes the feedback from different famous persons such Albert Bandura, George Gerbner, communication specialist, and Mark Edwards. This book can be very useful for parents especially. It includes the information about relevant organizations and websites that parents can use to find out more information about TV violence and the ways how to cope with it at home. The author has tried to give the comprehensive information about the usefulness of rating systems of TV, movies, video games, and other devices. It discovers the theories and perspectives about the impact of media violence on students; moreover, it provides the overviews of legislative representatives to offer different ways to resolve the problem.

Sparks, Glenn G. Media Effects Research: A Basic Overview. Australia; Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2013. The scholarly text was written by Glenn Sparks, a professor and researcher of Mass Communication at Purdue University. He studies the cognitive and emotional impact of the media on people. This book gives the complete information about the impacts of the media on people. It is very easy to read. That gives a reader an ability to possess all author's ideas and results, which are presented in this book. Each student can understand the relationship between science, methods used and practical questions about the impact of mass media. The book tries to provide students with practical understanding of the issue so they will be able to apply it in their lives, or when conducting a study. The author shows the attitude of the science to the research of media impacts and how these researches are covered in the media. The author reflects on the people's thinking and indicates the tools that can be used to attract people's attention to such issues as violence, sexual harassment, politics and technologies. This book also contains comments to less scientific influence of Marshall Mcluhan on the media and human activity in it. This book is useful and can be recommended for reading to everyone because it contains the comprehensive information about the impacts of the media on people. It can help a reader get to know the issue in full, explore the methods using which the issue can be resolved and have an opportunity to establish a defensive strategy in order to resist the existing problem and help the surrounding people prepare themselves and cope with it.

Tobias, Sigmund, and Fletcher, J D. Computer Games And Instruction. Albany: State University of New York. 2011. The scholarly textbook was written by Sigmund Tobias and J. D. Fletcher who were inspired by the fast growth of computer games. The authors discuss the idea of computer games` usage in the educational system. They explore the effects of computer games on people in order to evaluate the consequences and discover the ways to resolve them. The scholarly text was written in collaboration with Rick Mayer, Tom Duffy, and Howard Everson who helped the authors write a research chapter of the book. The authors try to apply their vision of computer games` usage in the learning process and offer some theories that can be used by teacher in classrooms. This book is full of useful information to prepare students for education practice that can be used with the aim to include computer games to that practice. This book can be useful for every teacher who plans to use computer games during the learning process and turn negative effects that computer games have into positive ones. It can be also recommended to every parent who wishes to evaluate the impact of computer games on children/students in order to apply the given knowledge within the family in practice.