Study Claims Profanity Causes Aggression
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
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Doesn't this rather... Go without saying? Kids are impressionable, they have an entire development process revolving around how impressionable they are, it's called learning.
I noticed problems with this study.
First: the university that did the study forbids swearing. This could be considered as bias. Not to an extreme level,but possibly a bit.
Second: This is a correlational study. It is not scientifically correct to draw a definite conclusion from one correlational study. It takes many, many, many more.
Third: The whole link from profanity to aggression that they "established" was a slippery slope argument. From the BYU site: "When youth both hear and then try profanity out for themselves it can start a downward slide toward more aggressive behavior.?
First: the university that did the study forbids swearing. This could be considered as bias. Not to an extreme level,but possibly a bit.
Second: This is a correlational study. It is not scientifically correct to draw a definite conclusion from one correlational study. It takes many, many, many more.
Third: The whole link from profanity to aggression that they "established" was a slippery slope argument. From the BYU site: "When youth both hear and then try profanity out for themselves it can start a downward slide toward more aggressive behavior.?
This is a textbook slippery slope argument. She's trying to assert that hearing a small number of words will somehow cause a person to become violent and aggressive.Andy Chalk said:
Or, alternatively, she's confusing cause and effect: people who curse more often tend to watch movies/shows or play games that have more cursing in them, and any personality they have has developed largely independent of what they watch/play. Maybe cursing more is a byproduct of who they already are as people.
Because, let's face it: kids don't turn emo after they cut themselves, nor are the razor blades responsible for them being emo.
I'm noticing a pattern in Escapist articles: call my cynical, but it seems like they're posting the same inflammatory bylines that you'd expect for an advocate of the topic, but then they end with a refutation of everything prior. It's starting to feel like a tabloid that ends all of its articles about alien abductions by adding, "Yeah, because that sure seems likely." Trying to have your cake and eat it, I think the phrase is.Andy Chalk said:
Gasp!
Children exposed to profanity are more likely to use it themselves!?
Never mind the fact that most kids are often exposed to profanity by their own parents.
Children exposed to profanity are more likely to use it themselves!?
Never mind the fact that most kids are often exposed to profanity by their own parents.
Sigh. Correlation does not imply causation. I can't be bothered to look at the original report right now but if the researchers really are saying that the correlation between cursing in video games and aggressive behavior implies that cursing causes the aggressive behavior.... well someone should be taking a hard look at how they got PhDs. It is basic scientific method.
People with aggressive tendencies might prefer games with cursing, or both the aggression and the choice of game might be caused by a third factor.
People with aggressive tendencies might prefer games with cursing, or both the aggression and the choice of game might be caused by a third factor.
Sooo, lets me get this straight: they asked 223 normal teenagers about their cursing and entertainment preferences and deducted from the answers that profanity in media causes profanity in real life. Fair enough, that's reasonable to assume even without any testing...
But where the fuck did they get the reliable information about the tested teenagers' "aggressive behavior" -tendencies? I mean, Christ, someone already pointed out that most people swear (well, it IS an assumption, I guess, but come on) and surely most people at least watch movies for their daily share of profanity...
Even that huge chance of coincidence aside, only 223 test-subjects?
Seriously.
But where the fuck did they get the reliable information about the tested teenagers' "aggressive behavior" -tendencies? I mean, Christ, someone already pointed out that most people swear (well, it IS an assumption, I guess, but come on) and surely most people at least watch movies for their daily share of profanity...
Even that huge chance of coincidence aside, only 223 test-subjects?
Seriously.
Swear all the time at home and around friends, but I only ever hit out at 3 people in my whole lifetime (28Y.O.) and they were all blatant cases of self-defence, I never hit first (I don't dick around much...) and I've been gaming since I was old enough to type "run" commands into a zx spectrum (let's say 23 years), so.... Meh.
Y u no real scientist?
Y u no real scientist?
"There is literature that shows the prosocial effects of media on children, the authors ignore these reports," he told Fox News. "The authors make no case for profanity being beneficial, as in humor elicitation, or social bonding, or as a coping mechanism, or as a relief from pain."
If they stopped to think for a second, they would realize that this is exactly why excessive use of profanity is harmful. Yes, it's an outlet to let off steam, but only when used infrequently. Excessive use of profanity makes the words less and less of an outlet which means there that one has to resort to other more harmful means to let out aggression. It makes perfect sense why kids who use more profanity are more aggressive.
If they stopped to think for a second, they would realize that this is exactly why excessive use of profanity is harmful. Yes, it's an outlet to let off steam, but only when used infrequently. Excessive use of profanity makes the words less and less of an outlet which means there that one has to resort to other more harmful means to let out aggression. It makes perfect sense why kids who use more profanity are more aggressive.
Wait, wait, wait, now we're trying to play the "stepping stone"/"gateway drug" game with words.
Dear researchers: you don't think there might be some confounding variables involved here, perhaps a few different interpretations of the causal relation?
Also: "BYU family professor". This research is clearly unbiased by unscientific, independent ethical concerns.
TL;DR: Some psychologists are really bad. Sturgeon's Relevation applies here as always.
Dear researchers: you don't think there might be some confounding variables involved here, perhaps a few different interpretations of the causal relation?
Also: "BYU family professor". This research is clearly unbiased by unscientific, independent ethical concerns.
TL;DR: Some psychologists are really bad. Sturgeon's Relevation applies here as always.
Armchair psychology is not good psychology. You don't come to conclusions by "stopping and thinking for a second". The list of things that "make perfect sense" and turn out to be completely wrong is really fucking long.Silk_Sk said:
Whats that? Cursing can cause you to become violent?
That cursing overrides all sense of logic, self preservation, intelligence and self restraint?
Its not the cursing that leads to violence. Its the lack of self control alot of people have these days. Attacking people claiming to be a vampire, stealing and then posting pics of you doing it on facebook, Trying to mug Chuck Norris. ((Yes, the last one was real. If you never heard about it, i suggest you google it for a good laugh))
Cursing isnt like a gateway drug. It isnt the cause of violence. I find it does the opposite for me. When im pissed at something i curse once or twice and get over it.
That cursing overrides all sense of logic, self preservation, intelligence and self restraint?
Its not the cursing that leads to violence. Its the lack of self control alot of people have these days. Attacking people claiming to be a vampire, stealing and then posting pics of you doing it on facebook, Trying to mug Chuck Norris. ((Yes, the last one was real. If you never heard about it, i suggest you google it for a good laugh))
Cursing isnt like a gateway drug. It isnt the cause of violence. I find it does the opposite for me. When im pissed at something i curse once or twice and get over it.
Considering how profanities are merely words and as such have no meaning or impact besides that which we give them I have to call this claim into question.
Bellowing the foulest obscenities you can imagine at someone you hate with a burning and seething intensity whilst picturing a scenario involving you striking them to the ground only to pin them down and pound their face into the floor endlessly until your hands are broken and bloody and the floor is forever stained with the pink and red of brain tissue and is coated with the fine dust-like remains of what used to be a skull before the violent outburst (I've been bottling up my feelings of anger and sadness since the age of eight, what more do you expect?) may indeed result in one becoming very violent.
Merely saying the words 'fuck', 'shit' or '****', however, will not.
When it comes to words, context is everything.
Myself and my best friend swear at each other all the time and yet I cannot recall a single time when either of us have been violent towards each other or even angry at one another (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a friendship like this).
Bellowing the foulest obscenities you can imagine at someone you hate with a burning and seething intensity whilst picturing a scenario involving you striking them to the ground only to pin them down and pound their face into the floor endlessly until your hands are broken and bloody and the floor is forever stained with the pink and red of brain tissue and is coated with the fine dust-like remains of what used to be a skull before the violent outburst (I've been bottling up my feelings of anger and sadness since the age of eight, what more do you expect?) may indeed result in one becoming very violent.
Merely saying the words 'fuck', 'shit' or '****', however, will not.
When it comes to words, context is everything.
Myself and my best friend swear at each other all the time and yet I cannot recall a single time when either of us have been violent towards each other or even angry at one another (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a friendship like this).
A religious school conducts a study and draws questionable conclusions.
What will the neighbor's think?
What will the neighbor's think?
Of course it does! Everyone who has heart problems has breathed oxygen, so it's obviously the leading cause in heart problems...Kargathia said:
Yeah, I'm going to call bull on this too. I swear a fair bit, but I'm rarely violent (verbally and physically) to others. My last violent outburst was a culmination of a very bad day (almost literally everything went wrong) and some people getting on my nerves for the last time (and again, I didn't hit them, just warned them of what I'd do if I saw them again for the rest of the day).