Literature Review - Academic Report

There is a body of opinion that states that violent video games can influence real-world violence. This is backed up by Anderson (2003) and CBS News (2005). However, even if they agree on the common concept, they disagree on the specifics. CBS News (2005) says that violent video games are more impressionable on teenagers as opposed to adults, because teenagers’ brains are still developing, but Anderson (2003) states that everyone can be equally affected by violent video games. Anderson (2003) also states that even unrealistic and fantasy violence in video games can also cause people to have increased levels of aggression.

There is also a body of opinion that holds an opposite viewpoint. The Technology Liberation Front (2008) points out that there are problems with the way the press report and investigate the subject of the relationship between violent video games and violence in reality, thereby discrediting the report. Ferguson, C.J. (2007 cited in Texas A&M International University, 2007, 2008) says that there is little or no relationship between violent video games and aggression. He states that “any link between video games and aggression is best explained by “third” variables like family environment or innate aggression.” He also says violent video games may have a number of benefits, including improving hand-eye coordination, being “good vehicles for some kids of education information”, among other things.

References

Anderson, C.A., 2003. Violent video games: myths, facts, and unanswered questions. Psychological Science Agenda, [Online]. 16 (5),
Available at: http://www.apa.org/science/psa/sb-anderson.html
[Accessed 16 October 2009].

CBS News, 2005. Can a video game lead to murder? [Online] (Updated 19 June 2005)
Available at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/17/60minutes/main702599.shtml
[Accessed 19 October 2009].

The Technology Liberation Front, 2008. Video games, violence, & social “science”: another day, another fight. [Online] (Updated 3 November 2008)
Available at: http://techliberation.com/2008/11/03/video-games-violence-social-science-another-day-another-fight/
[Accessed 19 October 2009].

Texas A&M International University, 2007. TAMIU study finds positive results in playing violent video games. [Online] (Updated 16 November 2007)
Available at: http://www.tamiu.edu/newsinfo/11-16-07/article5.shtml
[Accessed 19 October 2009].

Texas A&M International University, 2008. Study by TAMIU professor finds no link between violent video games and aggression. [Online] (Updated 27 March 2008)
Available at: http://www.tamiu.edu/newsinfo/3-27-08/article13.shtml
[Accessed 19 October 2009].

Reflection of my Learning Style - Personal Development Plan

To find out my specific learning style, I completed the VARK questionnaire. The results I got were this:

Visual - 4

Aural/Auditory - 3

Read/Write - 7

Kinaesthetic - 9

According to these results, my strongest learning style is Kinaesthetic. I agree that I fit into the Kinaesthetic learning style because I prefer to learn through practical work instead of theoretical work. I prefer to engage with practical activities and do things rather than write essays or make notes about subjects.

My weakest learning style seems to be Aural/Auditory. I agree with this wholeheartedly because I do not like to listen to someone talk about a particular subject for hours on end. It can be incredibly boring. I also have trouble taking notes when someone's talking because then I miss out on what they are saying while I am writing down notes on what they previously said. I am not currently sure how I will overcome this detriment, but I hope to learn how to do so in the future.

Reflection of my Learning Experiences - Personal Development Plan

In my life, my biggest learning experiences have been how to adjust and take advantage of my condition, which is High Functioning Autism. From a young age, my parents have taught me that Autism, and similar conditions, are nothing to be ashamed of. Thanks to them, I learnt that Autism could bring many benefits to my life, and it did. They did a number of things to help me in life, such as:

• When I was really young, my parents had to use regular visual and kinaesthetic stimuli to teach me the most basic things. For example, to learn the meaning of 'under', my parents constantly took me under the bed and to teach me the meaning of the word 'except', everyone would leave the room except for one person.
• They told me that I had Autism at an early age, instead of hiding the fact and pretending that nothing was there, like other parents.

Like anything in life, Autism has advantages and disadvantages. Below is a list of the advantages and disadvantages that Autism has brought me:

Advantages

• I was able to drop out of certain subjects in secondary school that I didn't find very interesting. These include Religious Education (left in Year 7), History (left in Year 7), Art (left in Year 7) and German (left after Year 8).
• If I was interested in a subject, I would concentrate on it so much it would border on obsessiveness. This enabled me to succeed in that particular subject. However, this could also be disadvantageous, because I might fly off at a tangent.
• I was able to meet great people throughout the years of my life.

Disadvantages

• I had trouble socialising with people.
• I've always had trouble keeping on task. I can be very easily distracted.
• If I wasn't interested in a subject, I didn't see the point in doing it and so it was very difficult for people to convince me to do the work that the subject required.

Apparently, in secondary school I changed the perceptions of special needs in a number of teachers.

Autism has been a major part of my life and it always will be, but I have always thought that Autism has made my life better, not worse.