Blizzard Bag #2

Grade 8 - Accelerated Language Arts - Miss Wolfe

1. Read the two video games articles in this folder. In each article, the author has a different viewpoint on how video games affect kids.

2. After reading the articles, evaluate the evidence used in the articles by using the attached worksheet.

Evaluating Evidence

Article 1: “Gaming makes kids physically fit? New research says yes. Maybe.” What evidence does this article use to demonstrate the gaming is good for kids? Look for data and evidence that has been gained from studies. Give specific data, not vague statements. Example of data: One study showed that eating corn every day helped some adults type faster. After eating two ears of corn, one group of adults typed at 300 WAM compared to another group, which did not eat corn and typed at 100 WAM (I made this example up; it is not really true). Example of vague statement: Corn is beneficial to your health. Pieces of evidence:

1.

2.

3.

Article #2: “Violent Video Games and Bad Behavior: The Evidence Mounts” What evidence does this article use to demonstrate the gaming is bad for kids? Look for data and evidence that has been gained from studies. Give specific data, not vague statements.

1.

2.

3.

Evaluate the evidence: Think about the evidence used to support the arguments in these articles. Does it seem to have flaws? Are there any ways that the evidence could be skewed to the bias of the author? Think about the studies that were referenced in the articles. Do you think that these studies are setup correctly? Could there have been errors made in the setup or execution of the studies? After you have thought about the evidence, write at least two paragraphs, taking a stance on whether or not the evidence given in these two articles adequately supports the idea that video games are beneficial for kids. Explain why or why not. Use the questions above to guide your thinking.

Gaming makes kids physically fit?New research says yes. Maybe.

Noah Bakshis, 15, plays a computer video game titled "Dust: An Elysian Tail" at his home in Plainfield,

Illinois. Photo: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS

CHICAGO — Imagine a hardcore video game fanatic, and you probably

wouldn't picture Roman Rivera.

He grew up captivated by games from “Pokemon” to “Call of Duty,” and evaded

his mom’s screen-time limits by secretly playing his Game Boy after bedtime.

Now that he’s 21, he spends up to four hours a day battling enemies in the

virtual arena of “Dota 2.”

Yet he was an honor student and a member of the debate team at Downers

Grove North High School outside of Chicago, and today he is studying

economics at the University of Chicago. These accomplishments did not come

in spite of gaming, but because of it, Rivera said.

Gaming Is Here To Stay

Rivera said that video games have broadened his interests and improved his

mental agility. “Without a doubt they have benefited me.”

By Chicago Tribune, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.04.15

Word Count 929

Rivera may be right. A new wave of research has found surprising advantages

in an activity that many dismiss as a waste of time, if not an outright menace.

Social scientists have recently linked gaming with enhanced mental skills, moral

decision-making and even physical fitness.

“We’re working really hard on understanding what aspects of gaming could be

leveraged for the betterment of society,” said Daphne Bavelier. She is a

neuroscientist who researches video games at the University of Geneva in

Switzerland and the University of Rochester in New York. “Everyone

understands it’s here to stay. It’s not going to disappear. You could try to ban it,

but it seems to have really interesting positive effects.”

Researchers have done thousands of studies on gaming since the 1980s, often

with clearly negative results. Some associated video games with an increased

risk of epileptic seizures, while others warned that gaming could cause

dangerously elevated heart rates. Many studies also linked violent games to

aggression and anti-social behavior.

New Study, New Results

When a new generation of scientists more familiar with a technology comes

along, different results often appear in studies, said Christopher Ferguson, a

psychology professor at Stetson University in Florida. "And that’s what is

happening with gaming."

Ferguson has consistently found that violent video games do not contribute to

aggression in kids. One recent project actually concluded that some children

who play violent games are less likely than others to be bullies.

He speculates that kids use video games to relieve strong emotions. Because

they are busy playing video games, "they don’t have time to bully other kids,” he

said.

Another take on video game violence came from University of Buffalo

communications professor Matthew Grizzard.

He found that those who played the bad guy role in shooter games often felt

guilty.

"Games can be this really important tool for teaching people what the right

decisions might be," he said. "Maybe one way to do that is showing what the

consequences of wrong decisions would be.”

No Time For Snacks

Gaming has long been blamed in the growing epidemic of obesity, but

professor Chennan Liu's research suggests it might have gotten a bad rap. She

found that those who play video games for an average of three to six hours a

day were healthier than those who played less.

Gaming might burn more calories than just watching TV or it may be that kids

holding a controller are not as likely to pick up a snack or a soda.

That theory made sense to Dan Wojtowicz, 18, a student at Andrew High School

in Tinley Park, Illinois. He spends up to seven hours a day on “StarCraft II,”

“League of Legends” and other games.

“When I go on long gaming streaks, many times I don’t feel the need to eat as

much, even though it takes a lot of my energy,” he said. “I can go without eating

for three to four hours.”

Surgeon In Training?

The most intriguing studies might be coming from neuroscientists, who are

learning how gaming affects the brain. Simone Kuhn, a researcher at the Max

Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, has found that the brain's

prefrontal cortex, which is linked to a person's personality and decision-making,

actually grows thicker and gray matter expands in people who play games.

These changes could improve memory and navigational ability.

Bavelier has found that first-person shooters — one of the most hated

categories of video games — can help improve vision and attention span.

Bavelier noted that young gamers who become surgeons perform faster and

make fewer errors than more experienced surgeons.

Of Course There Are Doubters

Not everyone is sold on the idea that gaming is good for you. Joseph Bisoglio,

who has studied the subject at Columbia University Medical Center in New York,

said that studies generally do not compare gaming with other activities that

exercise the brain. Learning a new language or a musical instrument may have

a better effect on the brain than gaming, he said.

Doug Bakshis doubted the value of video games when his son Noah began to

play “Minecraft” and other games for hours at a time. But then Noah, who has

Asperger’s syndrome, a disability that affects social skills, started becoming

more open to the world.

Noah, now 15, said gaming has expanded his interests. He is studying archery

and Japanese culture after encountering them in video games. His attention,

focus and coordination have also improved, he said, as has his self-awareness.

“(Games) helped me discover what my inner ethics are, what choices I would

make in particular situations,” he said. “What I’ve found is I generally try to

resolve things peacefully.

"You can grow emotional attachment to the characters, and that’s not a bad

thing," he said.

Quiz

1 Which sentence from the section "Surgeon In Training?" provides the BEST

evidence that there are benefits to playing video games?

(A) The most intriguing studies might be coming from neuroscientists,

who are learning how gaming affects the brain.

(B) Simone Kuhn, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human

Development in Berlin, has found that the brain's prefrontal cortex,

which is linked to a person's personality and decision-making,

actually grows thicker and gray matter expands in people who play

games.

(C) Bavelier noted that young gamers who become surgeons perform

faster and make fewer errors than more experienced surgeons.

(D) These changes could improve memory and navigational ability.

2 Select the paragraph from the section "Of Course There Are Doubters" that explains

why playing video games may not be a good choice for kids.

3 Which sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3] BEST supports the main

idea of the article?

(A) He grew up captivated by games from “Pokemon” to “Call of Duty,”

and evaded his mom’s screen-time limits by secretly playing his

Game Boy after bedtime.

(B) Now that he’s 21, he spends up to four hours a day battling

enemies in the virtual arena of “Dota 2.”

(C) Yet he was an honor student and a member of the debate team at

Downers Grove North High School outside of Chicago, and today

he is studying economics at the University of Chicago.

(D) These accomplishments did not come in spite of gaming, but

because of it, Rivera said.

4 Which paragraph from the section "Gaming Is Here To Stay" BEST summarizes the

article as a whole?

(A) Rivera said that video games have broadened his interests and

improved his mental agility. “Without a doubt they have benefited

me.”

(B) Rivera may be right. A new wave of research has found surprising

advantages in an activity that many dismiss as a waste of time, if

not an outright menace. Social scientists have recently linked

gaming with enhanced mental skills, moral decision-making and

even physical fitness.

(C) “We’re working really hard on understanding what aspects of

gaming could be leveraged for the betterment of society,” said

Daphne Bavelier. She is a neuroscientist who researches video

games at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and the University

of Rochester in New York. “Everyone understands it’s here to stay.

It’s not going to disappear. You could try to ban it, but it seems to

have really interesting positive effects.”

(D) Researchers have done thousands of studies on gaming since the

1980s, often with clearly negative results. Some associated video

games with an increased risk of epileptic seizures, while others

warned that gaming could cause dangerously elevated heart rates.

Many studies also linked violent games to aggression and anti-

social behavior.

Still convinced that violent video games are harmless fun? You might want to put down that console andconsider the findings of two new research papers.

The first, a meta­analysis of 98 studies with nearly 37,000 participants, concludes without

equivocation that “violent video games increase aggression.”

The second, which describes new research from Italy, provides further evidence of that troubling

dynamic, and indicates they also lead to “decreased self­control and increased cheating.”

“Many real­world decisions require self­regulation of moral behavior,” writes a research team led by

psychologist Alessandro Gabbiadini. “Our study indicates that playing violent video games can

interfere with this ability.”

"Participants who played a violent video game for only 35 minutesexhibited less self­control, cheated more, and behaved moreaggressively than did participants who played a nonviolent videogame."

BOOKS & CULTURE

Violent Video Games and BadBehavior: The Evidence MountsNew research from Italy and a meta­study from Austria bothconnect playing violent video games with antisocial behavior.

TOM JACOBS · FEB 10, 2014

The Italian study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, featured 172 highschool students. After 10 minutes of practice, each played a violent video game (Grand Theft Auto III orGrand Theft Auto San Andreas) or a non­violent one (Pinball 3D or Mini Golf 3D) for 35 minutes.

Participants were told they could snack from a bowl of M&Ms placed next to the computer as they played.However, they were also warned that eating too much candy too quickly was unhealthy. Their level ofself­control was measured by noting how much of the chocolate they consumed.

After finishing play, they completed a survey designed to measure their level of moral disengagement. Ona one­to­seven scale (“completely agree” to “completely disagree”), participants responded to a series ofstatements indicating a tendency to think of moral behavior in relative terms.

Examples include “Compared to the illegal things people do, taking some things from a store withoutpaying for them is not very serious” and “It is OK to insult a classmate, because beating him/her is worse.”

The experiment concluded with two tests designed to measure aggression and the tendency to cheat.

Participants were told they could earn one raffle ticket for each problem they solved on a 10­item logictest. They scored their own responses and took a lottery ticket from an envelope for each correct answer.Researchers measured cheating by comparing the number of tickets taken with the actual number ofcorrect answers.

In addition, participants took part in a “competitive reaction time task” in which the winner of eachround “could blast the loser with loud noise through headphones.” Researchers measured aggression byhow loud and long participants blasted the unpleasant sound.

The results were consistent across the board: “Participants who played a violent video game for only 35minutes exhibited less self­control, cheated more, and behaved more aggressively than did participantswho played a nonviolent video game.”

Specifically, those who played the violent game ate more M&Ms, took more unearned raffle tickets, andgave their rivals a longer and louder blast of noise.

“Although very few teenagers were unaffected by violent video games,” Gabbiadini and his colleagueswrite, “individuals high in moral disengagement were far more affected than those low in moraldisengagement.” This suggests a subset of players—those prone to find ways to justify their unethicalbehavior—are particularly susceptible to the effects of these games.

Given this new evidence, “it seems more appropriate to assess the consequences of violent video games onbehavior in terms of a gradient of intensity of the effects, rather than just the presence/absence of suchconsequences,” they conclude.

That last point provides interesting context for the meta­study, which was conducted by researchers

Tobias Greitemeyer and Dirk Mügge and published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

It finds “strong evidence that violent video games do affect aggressive outcomes.”

The Italian researchers both expand on that notion—they find it’s actually a risk factor for several types ofnegative behavior—and narrow it somewhat, suggesting certain players are more susceptible to sucheffects than others. These findings, which need to be replicated, potentially add important nuance to thedebate.

But they don’t change the fundamental equation: Violent video games can, and do, impact players’attitudes and behaviors. And not for the better.

Aggressive behavior is multi­determined, with violent video game exposure being one source among manyothers (and some of them having a stronger influence than do violent video games).

On the other hand, even small effects—and the effect of violent video games is small to medium in its effectsize—can have a negative impact on a societal level when many people are exposed to it, which certainlyapplies to violent video games.

Thus, in our view, violent video game play should be regarded as a risk factor for aggressive behavior.