FHEL1012 English for Academic Studies CFS

Worksheet – Synthesis Writing

Carefully read the following two sources (Source A and source B). Next, synthesise information
from the sources and incorporate them into a well-developed body paragraph of about 150
words. Use the sources to illustrate and support the topic sentence. Indicate clearly which
sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary.

Topic: Video Games

Topic Sentence: Video games have greatly affected the society.

Begin your paragraph with the topic sentence i.e. “Video games have greatly affected the
society”…

especially the younger generation. Video games can be classified into categories such as education,
action, violent video game, or casual games. The games that preferred by the child significantly
affect the way they think and behave. Recently, there are reports show that the younger generations
have been investing more time in playing video games than watching television.
Just like any other thing, there are pros and cons when engaging in video games. First and foremost,
one of the benefits when playing video games is the child will learn to following directions. The
child needs to know the way to play in order to tackle the puzzle and games. Children need to come
out with a solution. Children will also learn to multitask. Children need to learn how to control the
devices while thinking the solution. This is beneficial because children will be more adaptive in any
various environment. However, there are also downsides when playing video games. One of the
effects is that a prolonged time playing video games causes a detrimental to the child’s health.The
child will suffer symptoms such as higher heart rate ,dizziness and nausea. Also, playing a violent
video games will cause a child to have an aggressive behaviour. This is caused by a long time
invested in playing video
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Source A
Hughes, E., John, C., Joseph, A., Azriel, S., Parkson, C. 2016. “Effects of Video Games on
Child Development”. Journal of Psychology, Volume 56, Issue 3, page 118.

The following excerpt comes from a journal article.

There are various types of video games available in today’s industry. Video games are intended to
target different aspects of a child’s life. These video games are comprised of a variety of educational,
serious, and casual games, but in reality, what child is going to choose a game about learning versus
a game where they can kill zombies or drive cars at unruly amounts of speed? A study from
Buchman and Funk found that violent games became consistently popular across grades for both
boys and girls (Cesarone, 1998). Educational games were more popular for some of the girls being
asked, but throughout all the age groups, violent video games never lost their superior power in the
gaming industry.

Studies have shown the negative effects violent video games have on the younger generation. Calvert
and Tan (1998) did a study on young adults, where they compared the differences between playing
versus observing violent video games. Studies found that students who had played a violent virtual
reality game had a higher heart rate, reported more dizziness and nausea, and exhibited more
aggressive thoughts in a posttest than those who had played a nonviolent game (Michael, 2000).

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 FHEL1012 English for Academic Studies CFS
Although these studies do not directly determine if aggression increases in their experimenters, they
are able to observe behavioral changes that include more aggressive patterns.

Research has shown that playing video games can be beneficial for a number of cognitive functions
and may also contain social benefits. The first and foremost thing one discovers in a game is that
following directions is of the utmost importance. In order to progress in games, one must first learn
to follow the guidelines, restrictions and components of them. As the player confronts new
challenges, he must use problem-solving to find solutions. This is true for educational games, mind
games, and RPGs alike. The player cannot get through with what they already have or know and
must find new combinations and incorporate old skills with new skills to overcome obstacles such as
the level or quest (Gee, 2003). In relation to this, the player can also learn strategy and anticipation,
management of resources (simulation games), mapping, pattern recognition, how to judge the
situation and practice reading (with directions, dialogue, etc.) and quantitative calculations (through
educational games, managing finances, buying and selling for profit, etc. (Tumbokon, 2014).

Source B
Ayden, S., & Darryl Beckham. (2017). “The Impact of Video Games”. Retrieved from
http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/general/media-web/videogames.html, page 5.

The following excerpt comes from an online article.

Video games are a unique form of entertainment because they encourage players to become a part of
the game's script. Although video games have been available for more than 30 years, today's
sophisticated video games require players to pay constant attention to the game. Players engage on
deeper level—physically and emotionally—than people do when watching a movie or TV. Today
97% of teens in the U.S. play video games, and sales of games are growing. The domestic video
game industry brings in nearly $12 billion a year. This popular form of media has affected the
teenagers in various ways.

Firstly, gamers will get used to multitasking. As games become more intricate, players must juggle
different objectives while keeping track of all the changing elements and connecting ideas. Games
also induce quick thinking. According to cognitive scientist Daphne Bavelier of the University of
Rochester, results of a study found that people who play video games become more attuned to their
environment and able to keep visual tabs on friends in crowds, able to navigate better and better at
everyday things like driving and reading small print. Playing games also “significantly reduced
reaction times without sacrificing accuracy” beyond the context of the games (Bavelier et al., 2009)
and into making correct real-world decisions. Because of this effect on perceptual reaction times,

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 FHEL1012 English for Academic Studies CFS
even the U.S. military uses warfare simulation games in training and claims its benefits (Vargas,
2006).

However, studies also show that video games with violent content are linked to more aggressive
behavior in teens. This is a concern because most of the popular video games contain violence. Part
of the increase in aggressive behavior is linked to the amount of time children are allowed to play
video games—and daily media use by children is increasing significantly. A 2010 survey by the
Kaiser Family Foundation found that youth age 8 to 18 devote seven-and-a-half hours a day to
entertainment media. Less than half of the kids surveyed said their parents have rules about the
shows and games they can watch or play.

Updated in 202005