Comparison of Attitude toward Violence, Empathy and Ethical Development in Adolescent Users of Computer Games

Computer games have made a profound change in teenagers' leisure time and have become the most popular form of entertainment. Attitudes toward violence, empathy, and moral development are important variables associated with a variety of computer games. The purpose of this study was to compare attitude toward violence, empathy and moral development in adolescent users of computer games in a descriptive and correlational study.144 students were selected through cluster random sampling from male and female students in the first grade of high school in district 15 of Tehran's education district. O, the Attitude toward Violence-Adolescents Scale, Social Moral Reflection Questionnaire-Short Form, and Emotional Empathy Questionnaire.Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and Scheffe post hoc test. According to the results, the use of computer games was positively correlated with attitude toward violence and negatively correlated with empathy and moral development. There was also a significant difference between users of different types of computer games in empathy, attitude toward violence and the amount of use of computer games, while there was no significant difference in moral development. Accordingly, attitudes toward violence and empathy are relevant and important variables in relation to the types of computer games that can affect different types of computer games that, according to them, may be relevant. By designing and implementing programs and interventions, one can reduce positive attitudes toward violence and increase empathy.