Effect of Violent First-Person Shooter (FPS) Video Games on Shooting Accuracy

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Gun Shot Wound
• Interventions: Behavioral: Video game; Behavioral: Controller

• Registration Number: NCT03445156
• Lead Sponsor: Ohio State University

Brief Summary

The present research tests the effects of violent shooting games on behavior within the game (Pilot Study) and on behavior after the game is turned off (Experiment Proper). The Experiment Proper is an exact replication of a previous study conducted in our lab that was retracted (see citation), but with a larger sample to get more reliable results (N=287 rather than N=151).

Detailed Description

Violent shooting games are used to train soldiers and police officers. This research tests whether violent shooting can train people to shoot targets in the head, both during gameplay (Pilot Study) and after the game is turned off (Experiment Proper). Participants in both studies played a violent shooting game with humanoid targets that rewarded headshots, or a nonviolent shooting game that punished shots to bull's-eye targets with faces. Afterward, participants shot at a mannequin with a realistic CO2 gun. We anticipate that participants who play the violent game which rewards headshots to hit the mannequin's head more often than those who play the non-violent game.

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-02-01
• Primary Completion: 2016-04-25
• Study Completion: 2016-04-25
• Study First Submitted: 2018-02-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-02-20
• Study First Posted: 2018-02-26
• Results First Submitted: 2018-08-11
• Status Verified: 2019-06
• Results First Submitted QC: 2019-06-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-06-25
• Results First Posted: 2019-08-05
• Last Update Posted: 2019-08-05

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 327

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 and older
• Ohio State participant pool

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Exclusion Criteria

• Under age 18

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Pilot Study	Video game	After giving their consent, participants completed a survey. Next, they were randomly assigned to play either a violent First-Person-Shooter video game or a nonviolent shooting video game for 20 minutes. Video game play was recorded. A debriefing followed.
Experiment Proper	Controller	After giving their consent, participants completed a survey. Next, they were randomly assigned to play either a violent First-Person-Shooter video game, a nonviolent shooting video game, or a nonviolent non-shooting video game for 20 minutes. Next, they shot a training pistol at a mannequin 20 feet (6.1 meters) away using 16 Velcro "bullets." A debriefing followed.
Experiment Proper	Video game	After giving their consent, participants completed a survey. Next, they were randomly assigned to play either a violent First-Person-Shooter video game, a nonviolent shooting video game, or a nonviolent non-shooting video game for 20 minutes. Next, they shot a training pistol at a mannequin 20 feet (6.1 meters) away using 16 Velcro "bullets." A debriefing followed.
Pilot Study	Controller	After giving their consent, participants completed a survey. Next, they were randomly assigned to play either a violent First-Person-Shooter video game or a nonviolent shooting video game for 20 minutes. Video game play was recorded. A debriefing followed.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Hits to Head and Face	Up to one hour	In the Pilot Study, we counted hits to the head and face for targets within the game. In the Experiment Proper, we counted hits to the head and face of the mannequin.
Other Hits	Up to one hour	In the Pilot Study, we counted other hits to targets (i.e. not to a face) within the game. In the Experiment Proper, we counted other hits to the mannequin (i.e., torso instead of the head).