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Christopher Ferguson (psychologist)

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Christopher J. Ferguson is an American psychologist who serves as a professor and co-chair of psychology at Stetson University in Florida.[1] He previously served as an associate professor of psychology and criminal justice at Texas A&M International University.[2] In 2014, he was named a fellow of the American Psychological Association.[1]

Education

Ferguson received his B.A. in psychology from Stetson University, his M.S. in developmental psychology from Florida International University, and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Central Florida.[1]

Research and views

Ferguson is known for publishing studies disputing the link between video games and violent behavior.[2] He has argued that violent video games have remained popular even while youth violence has fallen to a 40-year low.[3] In 2008, Ferguson criticized a study published by Craig A. Anderson that found a link between violent video games and aggression. Ferguson stated, in a letter to the editor of Pediatrics, that the study suffered from "weak results" and "misleading conclusions."[4] Ferguson published a study in 2014 which found that although there was a correlation between media violence and homicide rates for the mid-20th-century, this correlation broke down after the 1950s.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Christopher Ferguson". Stetson University. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b Carey, Benedict (11 February 2013). "Shooting in the Dark". New York Times. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  3. ^ Jaslow, Ryan (18 February 2013). "Violent video games and mass violence: A complex link". CBS News. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. ^ Peckham, Matt (6 November 2008). "Violence in Games: A Conversation with Christopher Ferguson, Part One". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  5. ^ Ferguson, Christopher J. (February 2015). "Does Movie or Video Game Violence Predict Societal Violence? It Depends on What You Look at and When". Journal of Communication. 65 (1): 193–212. doi:10.1111/jcom.12142.
  6. ^ Stuart, Keith (10 November 2014). "Video games are not making us more violent, study shows". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2015.