Unlocking Games

Episode 19: Boom, Headshot!

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It’s not often there’s breaking news in the world of academic articles on gaming, but a potential retraction of an article is worth talking about.
A 2014 study called “Boom, Headshot! Effect of Video Game Play and Controller Type on Firing Aim and Accuracy” concluded that playing games with a gun-shaped controller, even briefly, will make the player much more accurate at shooting a real gun.
That study went on to be cited in policy documents and the news, but there’s just one problem: some of the data may have been falsified or manipulated.
What does this mean for academic gaming research? Can or should we trust a single published study?
Show Notes & Links
  • Boom, Headshot! Effect of Video Game Play and Controller Type on Firing Aim and Accuracy, by Brad Bushman & Jodi Whitaker, 2014, Communication Research
  • Dispute over shooter video games may kill recent paper (Retraction Watch)
  • Analyses of Miscoded Data, a timeline of the investigation into the article’s data
  • Origins of the “Boom, Headshot” meme
  • Andrew Przybylski on Twitter
  • Do violent video games play a role in shootings? (CNN)
  • APA’s Resolution on Violent Video Games
  • More details on replication rates of academic studies
    • Other games mentioned in this episode:
    • Mario Kart 8
    • Duck Hunt
    • Resident Evil 4
    • Wii Play
    • Super Mario Galaxy
    • Halo
    • Super Scope
    • Pong
    • Asteroids
      • ...more
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      Unlocking GamesBy Chad Haefele and Brandon Carper