Chris Ferguson's Publications


Academic Publications:

Manuscripts below are generally "in press" versions and may differ slightly from final published manuscripts.  Final manuscripts can genrally be found by visiting the Journal web-page. 

In Press [please email for updated preprints]:

Elson, M., & Ferguson, C. J.  (in press).  Twenty-five years of research on violence in digital games and aggression: Empirical evidence, perspectives, and a debate gone astray.  European Psychologist. 

 

Ferguson, C. J., Munoz, M. E., Garza, A., & Galindo, M.  (in press).  Concurrent and prospective analyses of peer, television and social Media Influences on body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms and life satisfaction in adolescent girls.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

 

Negy, C., Ferguson, C. J., Galvanovskis, A., & Smither, R.  (in press).  Predicting violence: A cross-national study of United States and Mexican young adults.  Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

 

Ferguson, C. J., Salmond, K., & Modi, K.  (in press).  Reality TV predicts both positive and negative outcomes for adolescent girls.  Journal of Pediatrics.

 

Ferguson, C. J., Ivory, J. D., & Beaver, K. M.  (in press).  Genetic, maternal, school, intelligence and media use predictors of adult criminality: A longitudinal test of the catalyst model in adolescence through early adulthood.  Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma.

 

Rogers, D. L., Kranz, P. L. & Ferguson, C. J.  (in press).  A strategy for involving undergraduates in research.  Journal of Hispanic Higher Education.   

 

Ferguson, C. J., Olson, C. K., Kutner, L. A., & Warner, D. E.  (in press).  Violent video games, catharsis-seeking, bullying and delinquency: A multivariate analysis of effects.  Crime and Delinquency.

 

 

2013

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2013).  Violent video games and the Supreme Court: Lessons for the scientific community in the wake of Brown v EMA.  American Psychologist, 68(2), 57-74.

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2013).  'Not in My Class You Don't!': The naive association of video games with aggression as a hindrance to their use in education.  In K. Bredl & W. Bösche (Eds.), Serious Games and Virtual Worlds in Education, Professional Development, and Healthcare (pp. 41-58).  Herskey, PA: IGI Global.

 

Ferguson, C. J., & Olson, C. K.  (2013).  Friends, fun, frustration and fantasy: Child motivations for video game play.  Motivation and Emotion, 37(1), 154-164.  doi:10.1007/s11031-012-9284-7

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2013).  In the eye of the beholder: Thin-ideal media affects some but not most viewers in a meta-analytic review of body dissatisfaction in women and men.  Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2(1), 20-37.

 

Ramos, R. A., Ferguson, C. J., Frailing, K., & Romero-Ramirez, M.  (2013).  Comfortably numb or just yet another movie? Media violence exposure does not reduce viewer empathy for victims of real violence among primarily Hispanic viewers.  Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2(1), 2-10.

 

Ferguson, C. J., Garza, A., Jerabeck, J., Ramos, R., & Galindo, M.  (2013).  Not worth the fuss after all? Cross-sectional and prospective data on violent video game influences on aggression, visuospatial cognition and mathematics ability in a sample of youth.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(1), 109-122.  doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9803-6

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2013).  Spanking, corporal punishment and negative long-term outcomes: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies.  Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 196-208.  doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.11.002

 

 

2012

 

Ferguson, C. J., & Ivory, J. D.  (2012).  A futile game: On the prevalence and causes of misguided speculation about the role of violent video games in mass school shootings.  In G.W. Muschert and J. Sumiala, (Eds.), School Shootings: Mediated Violence in a Global Age (pp 47-67.  Emerald Group Publishing Limited.    

 

Ferguson, C. J. & Heene, M.  (2012).  A vast graveyard of undead theories: Publication bias and psychological science’s aversion to the null.  Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6) 550-556.

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2012).  Positive female role-models eliminate negative effects of sexually violent media.  Journal of Communication, 62, 888-899.

 

Coulson, M., Barnett, J., Ferguson, C. J., & Gould, R. L. (2012). Real feelings for virtual people: Emotional attachments and interpersonal attraction in video games.  Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1(3), 176-184.

 

Ferguson, C. J., Munoz M. E., Winegard, B., & Winegard, B.  (2012).  The influence of heritability, neuroticism, maternal warmth and media use on disordered eating behaviors: A prospective analysis of twins.  Psychiatric Quarterly, 83, 353-360.

 

Ferguson, C. J., & Dyck, D.  (2012).  Paradigm change in aggression research: The time has come to retire the General Aggression Model.  Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17(3), 220-228.

 

Munoz, M. E., & Ferguson, C. J.  (2012).  Body dissatisfaction correlates with inter-peer competitiveness, not media exposure: A brief report.  Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 31(4), 383-392. 

 

Ferguson, C. J., & Brannick, M. T.  (2012).  Publication bias in psychological science: Prevalence, methods for identifying and controlling and implications for the use of meta-analyses.  Psychological Methods,17(1), 120-128.

 

Ferguson, C. J., Munoz, M. E., & Medrano, M. R.  (2012).  Advertising influences on young children’s food choices are only marginally reduced by parental influence: A randomized controlled experiment.  Journal of Pediatrics, 160(3), 452-455.

 

Ferguson, C. J.  & Savage, J.  (2012).  Have recent studies addressed methodological issues raised by five decades of television violence research? A Critical review.  Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17, 129-139.

 

Ferguson, C. J., San Miguel, C., Garza, A., & Jerabeck, J.  (2012).  A longitudinal test of video game violence effects on dating violence, aggression and bullying: A 3-year longitudinal study of adolescents.  Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46, 141-146.

 

Valadez, J. J. & Ferguson, C. J.  (2012).  Just a game after all: Violent video game exposure and time spent playing effects on hostile feelings, depression, and visuospatial cognition.  Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 608-616.

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2012).  Violence in video games: Advocating for the wrong cause?  Child and Family Policy and Practice Advocate, 35(1), 16-18.

 

 

2011

 

Ferguson, C. J., Coulson, M., & Barnett, J.  (2011).  A Meta-analysis of pathological gaming prevalence and comorbidity with mental health, academic and social problems.  Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(12), 1573-1578.

 

Ferguson, C. J., Coulson, M., & Barnett, J.  (2011).  Psychological profiles of school shooters: Positive directions and one big wrong turn.  Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations11(2), 141-158.

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2011).  VVG research in the aftermath of Brown v EMA: Lessons for the field of criminology.  The Criminologist, 36(6), 14-16.

 
 
 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2011).  A further plea for caution against medical professionals overstating video game violence effects.  Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 86(8), 820-821.  (Note that this comment is on Hall, Day & Hall, 2011 and includes discussions by scholars both supportive and against the conclusions of the original Hall, Day & Hall article which can be found here.)

 

Ferguson, C. J., Munoz, M. E., Contreras, C., & Velasquez, K.  (2011).  Mirror, mirror on the wall: Peer competition, television influences and body image dissatisfaction.  Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 30(5), 458-483.

 
Ferguson, C. J.  (2011).  Video games and youth violence: A prospective analysis in adolescents.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40(4). 377-391.
 

Ferguson, C. J., Winegard, B., & Winegard, B. M.  (2011).  Who is the fairest one of all? How evolution guides peer and media influences on female body dissatisfaction.  Review of General Psychology, 15(1), 11-28. 

 

Ferguson, C. J., Colwell, J., Mlacic, B., Milas, G., & Mikloušic, I.  (2011).  Personality and media influences on violence and depression in a cross-national sample of young adults: Data from Mexican-Americans, English and Croatians.  Computers in Human Behavior, 27(3), 1195-1200.

 
 
Ferguson, C. J., & Garza, A.  (2011).  Call of (civic) Duty: Action games and civic behavior in a large sample of youth.  Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 770-775.

 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2011).  Love is a battlefield: Risk factors and gender disparities for domestic violence among Mexican Americans.  Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 20(2), 227-236.
 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2011).  Seeing past the blame game.  Chronicle of Higher Education.  http://chronicle.com/article/Seeing-Past-the-Blame-Game/125942/ 

 

Rogers, D. L., & Ferguson, C. J. (2011). Punishment and rehabilitation attitudes toward sex offenders versus nonsexual offenders. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 20(4), 395-414.

 

2010

Ferguson, C.J., Cruz, A., Martinez, D., Rueda, S., & Ferguson, D.  (2010).  Violence and sex as advertising strategies in television commercials.  European Psychologist, 15(4), 304-311.

Ferguson, C.J., & Meehan, D. C.  (2010).  Saturday night’s alright for fighting: Antisocial traits, fighting, and weapons carrying in a large sample of youth.  Psychiatric Quarterly, 81 293-302.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  The modern hunter-gatherer hunts aliens and gathers power-ups: The evolutionary appeal of violent video games and how they can be beneficial.  In N. Koch (Ed.), Evolutionary psychology and information systems research: A new approach to studying the effects of modern technologies on human behavior (p/ 329-342).  New York:  Springer.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  Video games and adolescents.  In R. Levesque (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Adolescence.  Springer.

 
Beaver, K.M., Ferguson, C.J. & Lynn-Whaley, J.  (in press).  The Association between parenting and levels of self-control: A genetically informative analysis.  Criminal Justice and Behavior, 37(10) 1045-1065.

Ferguson, C. J.  & Olson, C. K.  (2010).    The Supreme Court and video game violence: Will regulation be worth the costs to the First Amendment?  The Criminologist, 35(4), 18-21.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  The wild west of assessment: Measuring aggression and violence in video games.  In L. Annetta and S. Bronack, (Eds.).  Serious Educational Game Assessment: Practical Methods and Models for Educational Games, Simulations and Virtual Worlds (pp. 31-44).  Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  Narcissism run rampant?  Let’s not flatter ourselves.  The Chronicle of Higher Education.  http://chronicle.com/article/Narcissism-Run-Rampant-Lets/123705/

Ferguson, C. J. & Rueda, S. M.   (2010).  The Hitman study: Violent video game exposure effects on aggressive behavior, hostile feelings and depression.  European Psychologist, 15(2), 99-108.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  Introduction to the special issue on video games.  Review of General Psychology, 14(2)

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  Blazing Angels or Resident Evil? Can violent video games be a force for good?  Review of General Psychology, 14(2), 68-81.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  Put video games to good useChronicle of Higher Education.   

Ferguson, C. J.  (2010).  A meta-analysis of normal and disordered personality across the lifespan.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(4), 659-667.

Ferguson, C. J., & Kilburn, J.  (2010).  Much ado about nothing: The misestimation and over interpretation of violent video game effects in Eastern and Western nations ~ Comment on Anderson et al. (2010).  Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 174-178.

Ferguson, C.J.  (2010).
Genetic contributions to antisocial personality and behavior (APB): A meta-analytic review from an evolutionary  perspective.  Journal of Social Psychology, 150(2) 160-180

Ferguson, C. J., San Miguel, C., & Hartley, R.  (2010).  Reply to Brooks, (2010).  Journal of Pediatrics, 156(3), 513-514.

Ferguson
, C.J., & Kilburn, J.  (2010).  Reply to Zimmerman & Strasburger, (2010).  Journal of Pediatrics, 156(1), 169-170.



2009


Ferguson, C. J.  San Miguel, C., & Hartley, R. D.  (2009).  A multivariate analysis of youth violence and aggression: The influence of family, peers, depression and media violence.  Journal of Pediatrics, 155(6), 904-908.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2009).  An effect size primer: A guide for clinicians and researchers.  Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40(5), 532-538.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2009).  Violent video games: Dogma, fear and pseudo-science.  Sceptical Inquirer, 33(5), 38-54.

Beaver, K. M., Ratchford, M., & Ferguson, C. J.  (2009).  Evidence of genetic and environmental effects on the development of low self-control.  Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36(11), 1158-1172.

Ferguson, C. J.  (Ed.).  (2009).  Violent crime: Clinical and social implications.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Ferguson, C. J.  & Hartley, R. D.  (2009).  The pleasure is momentary...the expense damnable?  The influence of pornography on rape and sexual assault.  Aggression and Violent  Behavior, 14(5), 323-329

Ferguson, C. J .  & Beaver, K. M.  (2009).  Natural born killers: The genetic origins of extreme violenceAggression and Violent Behavior , 14(5), 286-294.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2009).  Not every child is secretly a genius.  Chronicle of Higher Education,

Ferguson, C. J.  (2009).  Is psychological research really as good as medical research?  Effect size comparisons between psychology and medicine.  Review of General Psychology, 13(2), 130-136.

Ferguson. C. J.,  & Kilburn, J.  (2009).  The Public health risks of media violence: A meta-analytic review.  Journal of Pediatrics 154(5).  759-763.

Ferguson, C. J. & Rueda, S. M.  (2009).  Examining the validity of the Modified Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Test of aggression.  Journal of Experimental Criminology, 5(2), 121-137.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2009).  Media violence effects: Confirmed truth, or just another X-File?  Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 9(2), 103-126.

Ferguson, C .J.  (2009).  Research on the effects of violent video games: A critical analysis.  Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 3.


2008

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  The school shooting/violent video game link: Causal link or moral panic?  Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 5, 25-37.

Ferguson, C. J., Smith, S., Miller-Stratton, S., Fritz, S., & Heinrich, E.  (2008).  Aggression in the laboratory: Problems with the validity of the modified Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Test as a measure of aggression in media violence studies.  Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 17, 118-132.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008). Youth bashing gets old.  Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(48), B5.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  Violent video games: How hysteria and pseudoscience created a phantom public health crisis.  Paradigm, 12(2), 12-13, 22.

Ferguson, C .J., Rueda, S., Cruz, A., Ferguson, D., Fritz, S., & Smith, S.  (2008).  Violent video games and aggression: Causal relationship or byproduct of family violence and intrinsic violence motivation?  Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 311-332.

Ferguson, C. J., Cruz, A. M., Martinez, D., Rueda, S. M., Ferguson, D. E., & Negy, C.  (2008).  Personality, parental, and media influences on aggressive personality and violent crime in young adults.  Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 17, 395-414.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  An evolutionary approach to understanding violent antisocial behavior: Diagnostic implications for duel-process etiology.  Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 8(4),  321-343.

Ferguson, C. J., Cruz, A., & Rueda, S.  (2008).  Gender, video game playing habits and visual memory tasks.  Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 58, 279-286.

 Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  From fraud to Holocaust: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.  In S. Matulich and D. Currie (Eds.), Handbook of Frauds, Scams, and Swindles: Failures of Ethics in Leadership (pp 141-150). New York: Taylor and Francis.

Ferguson, C. J., Miller-Stratton, H., Heinrich, E., Fritz, S., & Smith, S.  (2008).  Judgments of culpability in a filicide scenario.  International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 31(1), 51-50. 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  Mental health counseling with Arab Americans.  In C. Negy (Ed.), Cross-cultural Psychotherapy:  Toward a Critical Understanding of Diverse Client Populations (2nd ed.).  Reno, NV: Bent Tree Press.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  Portrayals of immigrants in mass media: Honest depiction of cultural differences or unfair stereotype?  In J. Warner (Ed.), Battleground Immigration (vol 1).   Westport, CT: Greenwood.

Kamath, V., Orooji, B., & Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  Psychotherapy with Asian Indian immigrants: Evolving issues and concerns.  In C. Negy (Ed.), Cross-cultural Psychotherapy:  Toward a Critical Understanding of Diverse Client Populations (2nd ed.).  Reno, NV: Bent Tree Press.   Please contact Charles Negy for copy.

Negy, C., & Ferguson, C.J.  (2008).  Religious bigotry in multicultural psychology and therapy.  In C. Negy (Ed.), Cross-cultural Psychotherapy:  Toward a Critical Understanding of Diverse Client Populations (2nd ed.).  Reno, NV: Bent Tree Press.  Please contact Charles Negy for copy.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008).  Love and war: Conflicting attitudes toward media violence.  PsycCritiques. 53(7). 

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008, April 22).  Tag ban makes no sense.  McLean Connection, Retrieved 4/22/09 from: http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/category.asp?paper=68&cat=110.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2008, March 16).  T-shirt reaction won’t stop violence.  Sunday News, pp. P1, P5.  

2007:

Ferguson, C. J., San Miguel, C., Kilburn, J., & Sanchez, P.  (2007).  The effectiveness of school-based anti-bullying programs: A meta-analytic review.  Criminal Justice Review, 32. 401-414.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2007).   The good, the bad and the ugly: A meta-analytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video games.  Psychiatric Quarterly, 78, 309-316.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2007).  Video games: The latest scapegoat for violence.  The Chronicle of Higher Education: Chronicle Review, 53(42), B20.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2007).  Evidence for publication bias in video game violence effects literature: A meta-analytic review.  Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 470-482.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2007).  War: What is it good for?.  PsycCritiques, 52(41).

Ferguson, C. J.  (2007).  A compendium for traumatic brain injury medicine..  PsycCritiques. 52(43).

Ferguson, C. J.  (2007).  Building the perfect beast: Neuroscience and modern war.  PsycCritiques. 52(17). 


 2006:

Cully, J., Graham, D., Stanley, M., Ferguson, C. J., Sharafkhaneh, A., Souchek, J., & Kunik, M.  (2006).  Quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbid anxiety or depression.  Psychosomatics: Journal of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, 47, 312-319.

Ferguson, C. J., Stanley, M., Souchek, J., & Kunik, M.E.  (2006).  The utility of somatic symptoms as indicators of depression and anxiety in military v eterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Depression and Anxiety, 23, 42-49.

Ferguson, C. J., & Negy, C.  (2006).  Development and preliminary validation of a defendant and offender screening tool for psychopathology in inmate populations.  Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33, 1-22.


 2005:

Ferguson, C. J., & Meehan, D. C.  (2005).  An analysis of females convicted of sex crimes in the state of Florida.  Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 14(1), 75-89. 

Ferguson, C. J., Averill, P. M., Rhoades, H., Rocha, D., Gruber, N., & Gummattira, P.  (2005).  Social isolation, impulsivity and depression as predictors of aggression in a psychiatric inpatient population.  Psychiatric Quarterly, 76(2), 123-137.


 2004:

Ferguson, C. J., & Negy, C.  (2004).  The influence of gender and ethnicity on judgments of culpability in a domestic violence scenario.  Violence and Victims, 19(2), 203-220.

Ferguson, C.  (2004).  Arab Americans: Acculturation and prejudice in an era of international conflict.  In C. Negy (Ed.), Cross-cultural Psychotherapy:  Toward a Critical Understanding of Diverse Client Populations (pp. 265-280).  Reno, NV: Bent Tree Press.

Negy, C., & Ferguson, C.  (2004).  Religious bigotry:  The neglected "ism" in multicultural psychology.  In C. Negy (Ed.), Cross-cultural Psychotherapy:  Toward a Critical Understanding of Diverse Client Populations (pp. 61-76).  Reno, NV: Bent Tree Press.  Contact Charles Negy for a copy.


 Before 2004:

Ferguson, C. J., White, D. E., Cherry, S., Lorenz, M., & Bhimani, Z.  (2003).  Defining and classifying serial murder in the context of perpetrator motivation.  Journal of Criminal Justice, 31(3), 287-292.

Ferguson, C. J.  (2002). Externalizing disorders and the treatment of child anxiety: A preliminary study.  Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 24(3), 53-72.
 
Ferguson, C. J.  (2002).  Media violence: Miscast causality.  American Psychologist, 57(6-7), 446-447.
 
Ferguson, C. J.  (2000).  Free will: An automatic response.  American Psychologist, 55(7), 762-763.

Weems, C., Hammond-Laurence, K., Silverman, W., & Ferguson, C.  (1997).  The Relation between anxiety sensitivity and depression in children and adolescents referred for anxiety. Behavior Research and Therapy, 35, 961-966.
dreamweaver graphics
Guitar Center Coupon Codes