A 2012 paper on the effects of violent video games authored by Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, along with Jodi Whitaker, who’s now a professor at University of Arizona, has been retracted following its inability to meet scientific standards after peer review.
The paper, titled “Boom, Headshot!: Effect of Video Game Play and Controller Type on Firing Aim and Accuracy” presented controversial evidence that video games —specifically first-person shooters —could train players to be better marksmen and improve their aim with firearms.
In the last decade, anti-video game lawyer Jack Thompson cited Bushman’s research into violent video games, which Bushman co-produced with Craig A. Anderson.
Critics of the 2012 study cited irregularities with the data he presented, and OSU put one of them on notice for misconduct. Correspondence to an academic publication called Communication Research, where the paper was first published, prompted the publication to issue a retraction. Researchers Patrick Markey of Villanova University and Malte Elson of Ruhr University Bochum alerted the publication to irregularities in the data. Bushman was unable to confirm the sources of his data because the original research records were unavailable.
Markey states that he noticed statistical irregularities that suggested the data was positively skewed to reach the paper’s conclusions. His own research into violent video games and other media showed a decrease in aggression and violence —contrary to Bushman’s 2001 paper. Indeed, his own study shows that violent video games have little lasting effect. Markey plans to publish a book on his findings this year titled “Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong.”
Bushman initially argued that the push to retract the paper was a smear campaign against him, but has since agreed with the OSU’s retraction.
Speaking to Retraction Watch, Elson said he was pleased with OSU’s decision, which was made two years since he and Markey first reported the irregularities.
“The public record has now been corrected, which is the only thing Patrick and I ever wanted after we found evidence of severe errors in the data on which the now retracted paper was based,” said Elson.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.