Abstract
In today’s popular culture, the video game industry has established itself as a major force, surpassing the movie and music industries. Most people now play video games. They are played on consoles, computers, and handheld devices (including mobile phones). The top selling video games contain lots of blood and gore. Bushman will discuss his research on the effects of violent games on players. He will also discuss his recent research on the effects of prosocial video games on players.
Please also see the attached PDF, an article co-authored by Dr. Bushman, for background information on his research
In recent years, the violent crime rate has dropped to near record lows. At the same time, there has been an explosion in the number of private citizens who obtain a license to carry a concealed firearm in public. There are now nearly eight million people with concealed carry permits nation-wide, and yet little is known about how they think about crime, threat, and self-defense. An analysis of in-depth interviews with 36 concealed handgun license holders in Texas suggests that while concealed-carry instructors explain threat in ostensibly race-neutral, colorblind language, license holders themselves utilize racialized and classed understandings of crime as they navigate public spaces. As this research makes clear, the way that license holders think about crime and victimization, including differences in how men and women explain threat, is a critical component in understanding the social implications of an armed citizenry.
Lecturer
Brad J. Bushman is a professor of communication and psychology at The Ohio State University, and a professor of communication science at the VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands in the summer. He studies the causes, consequences, and solutions to the problem of human aggression and violence. His research has challenged several myths (e.g., violent media have a trivial effect on aggression, venting anger reduces aggression, violent people suffer from low self-esteem, violence and sex sell products, warning labels reduce audience size). (One of his colleagues calls him the "myth buster.") He has over 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including in the top scientific journals (e.g., Science, Nature). His research has been featured on television (e.g., ABC News 20/20, CBS Evening News, Jim Lehrer NewsHour, O'Reilly Factor), on radio (BBC, NPR, ABC, CBS, NBC, CBC) in magazines (e.g., Scientific American, Newsweek, Time, Health, Sports Illustrated), and in newspapers (e.g., New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today).
