Update: Stetson University psychology professor Chris Ferguson speaks to Game Informer about why this new report from the APA is inherently flawed.  It's a lot to chew on, but basically he explains why this latest research report seems to be steered by an anti-game agenda.

Original Story: A "study of studies" from 2005 - 2013 from the American Psychological Association (APA) concludes that playing violent video games causes aggression in players. This is a position the APA has long held and this new report simply reasserts that position in its newly released 49-page report.

"Scientists have investigated the use of violent video games for more than two decades but to date, there is very limited research addressing whether violent video games cause people to commit acts of criminal violence," said Mark Appelbaum, PhD, task force chair. "However, the link between violence in video games and increased aggression in players is one of the most studied and best established in the field."

As has been the case with all of these studies that claim that video games "cause aggressive behavior" in players, researchers are not willing to make the leap of faith to claim that aggressive behavior leads to real-world violence.

In addition to releasing the results of the study, which you can read here (PDF), the APA has issued new set of policies and recommendations that replaces its 2005 "Resolution on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media."  The new policy, called "Resolution on Violent Video Games" (PDF) calls on the ESRB to update the rating system "to reflect the levels and characteristics of violence in games, in addition to the current global ratings." It also endorses the development of "rigorously tested interventions" that will "educate" children and families on the "effects of playing violent games."

The ESA, which runs the E3 Expo and operates the ESRB, didn't have nice things to say about the APA's new report.

"Considering the APA's long-standing bias against and attacks on video games, this slanted report is not surprising," an ESA rep. tells Polygon. "Numerous medical professionals, researchers, and courts all debunk the fundamental thesis of their argument."

"In tearing down similar faulty research, the U.S. Supreme Court specifically ruled (in Brown v. EMA) that 'psychological studies purporting to show a connection between exposure to violent video games and harmful effects on children do not prove that such exposure causes minors to act aggressively.' We could not state it better," the ESA said.

The ESA makes a valid point about bias at the APA. The organization has a habit of supporting and highlighting anti-game research. As Polygon points out, two of the seven members of the APA Task Force, Kenneth Dodge, PhD and Sherry Hamby, PhD, endorsed an amicus curiae brief submitted in favor of upholding the California law in the Brown v. EMA case.

At the end of the day, this 49-page report confirms that the APA still believes that video games cause aggressive behavior. Even if you accept that they cause higher levels of aggression, how are they any different than engaging in competitive activities, playing sports, talking about politics in a public forum, driving, talking on social media, etc.?  We contend that they are not any different. The only difference is that researchers are trying to link playing games to real world violence. They aren't quite there yet but it's not from a lack of trying. Perhaps the next step for researchers is to find out if video games actually have a long-term effect on gamers (we think they'll find that games  - like everything else in the world - do not cause long-term aggressive behavior in people).