Video Game Use, Aggression, and Social Impairment in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Konnor Davis, Ana-Maria Iosif, Christine Wu Nordahl and 2 others
PMID 35821547WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adolescents played video games more often and for longer than their typically developing peers.
Among those with autism, playing more than average was linked to higher aggression and social awareness deficits compared to average players, though this may reflect lower scores in the average group rather than pathology in heavy gamers.
Key findings
01Parents of autistic adolescents reported video games as a hobby more frequently and indicated higher amounts of playing time compared to parents of typically developing adolescents.
02Among autistic adolescents, those who played video games 'more than average' had significantly higher aggression T-scores than those who played an 'average' amount, but no significant difference was found between players and non-players.
03Autistic adolescents who played 'more than average' showed greater deficits in social awareness and mannerisms compared to those who played an 'average' amount, but not compared to non-players or those playing less than average.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Video game use was measured via a general parent-report hobby checklist, not a specific gaming questionnaire, which may have led to misclassification of players vs. non-players. The sample was IQ-matched and excluded many individuals with intellectual disability (FSIQ < 70), so results do not generalize to the full autism spectrum. The typically developing group had very low aggression and social impairment scores, preventing direct comparison of these outcomes between diagnostic groups. The study is cross-sectional regarding the association between gaming and outcomes; it cannot determine if gaming causes aggression/social deficits or if adolescents with these traits gravitate toward gaming. The 'average' playing group had unexpectedly low aggression and social deficit scores, making it unclear whether the 'more than average' group is truly impaired or just normal relative to a high-functioning average group.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. No other conflicts of interest declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher aggression and social deficit scores in heavy gamers as evidence that video games cause these problems. The data showed that 'average' players had lower scores than both 'more than average' players and 'non-players,' suggesting the 'average' group may simply have fewer difficulties, rather than gaming being harmful.