October 13, 2015
Research from marketing professor Doug Walker looks at parents' influence on children's play of violent video games
Submitted by Brent Fritzemeier
According to a new study from Doug Walker, Kansas State University assistant professor of marketing, parents who are more anxious and emotional can affect the amount of violent video games their children play.
The research, titled "Parenting Orientations as Antecedents of Children's Violent Videogame Play," investigated the varying impact of the three components of parenting styles on the violent video game play levels of children by surveying 237 children between the ages of 8-12 and their parents.
Interestingly, warm and restrictive parents, through an increased use of rules and more involvement in game choices, were found to have children with lower play levels when compared to parents that took a more hostile and permissive approach. Parental anxiety and emotion led to even higher play levels for first-born boys, a result of fewer rules about game play and less involvement in game choice.
"Parental rule-making and involvement are both effective in managing children's play of violent video games," said Walker. "However, anxiety and emotion can actually have a detrimental effect."
The research is published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs. The study was co-authored by Russell N. Laczniak, Iowa State University; Les Carlson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and E. Deanne Brocato, Utah State University.