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Study: violent games least likely to cause gamer aggression

Posted Mar 31, 2009 at 3:13PM EST by Karl B.

Listed in: Magazines, News Tags: Jane Barnett, Japan

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By now everybody has heard about the supposed link between violent videogames and real-life aggression. A lot of researchers have sunk time and effort into either disproving or proving this theory, so until now we don't really have anything definitive. A new study by researchers from Huddersfield University, however, is calling this supposed link into question.

The study was set up like this: 30 participants, aged from 18 to 45, were asked to play three different game genres - a FPS, a driving game (Project Gotham Racing) and a 3D table tennis game - on an Xbox 360. They were measured for changes in their physical responses (EEG, breathing and heart rate) and mental responses (aggression) before and after playing.

The researchers, Dr Simon Goodson and Sarah Pearson, found that no, violent games like first-person shooters don't actually cause players to get more agitated and aggressive than usual. In fact, the researchers found that it induced the least change in heart rate and brain activity. You might be surprised at what caused the greatest change, though.

Read, Set, RAGE!!! - Image 1

Their findings indicated that the driving game induced the greatest change in heart rate and brain activity and the FPS induced the smallest change. Yep, according to the study, driving games actually cause gamers to become more aggressive. I guess road rage also exists in virtual highways.

Here's what the researchers had to say about their findings:

Previous researchers have made sweeping generalisations about the nature of videogames. This study is one of the first to use one of the latest games consoles that have a much higher level of realism. Surprisingly the results showed that the driving game made participants more agitated and aggressive than the game with graphic violence. Given the high levels of realism in modern games a re-evaluation of the relationship between videogames and violence is needed.

Makes you think, huh? The study will be presented at the British Psychological SocietyÂ’s Annual Conference today.

A similar study presented during the BPS Annual Conference last year by Miss Jane Barnett and her colleagues at Middlesex University also found that people who play violent games online actually feel more relaxed and less angry after they have played. There were still differences depending on sex, age and personality, though.

Conversely, a study conducted in the United States and Japan late last year found that violent games DO make people aggressive. The thing to note here however is the age group that the study focused on: 9 to 18. Compare that to the 18 to 45 that was used in the Huddersfield study. Age was also one of the factors that influenced the findings of the Barnett study. Impressionability, perhaps? Feel free to share your thoughts about this in the comments section below.

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"Their findings indicated that the driving game induced the greatest change in heart rate and brain activity and the FPS induced the smallest change. Yep, according to the study, driving games actually cause gamers to become more aggressive."

Increase in heart rate and brain activity means higher aggression? How? Unless the brain activity measured by the EEG is what proves aggression. I really have no idea how they work so I do not know but the article separates the EEG measurements from aggression measurement so I'm assuming they do not.

Racing games definitely do make my heart pound way more than an FPS. I'm sure my heart rate is elevated while I play an FPS but it doesn't really start beating until I'm put in a tight situation where I have to react quickly, but that only lasts for a short while. On the other hand, I know my heart is beating like crazy during racing games for a long period of time (not really in PGR though, more like games along the lines of Burnout)

I wonder exactly how the researchers defined "Aggression." The definitions of aggression in these studies are always different. I also wonder how they measured the aggression levels. With studies on younger children I think they allow the kids to play with each other while being observed after they are exposed to the violent media. But I don't think you could tell a group of 18+ year old people to go and play amongst each other. That would be a bit weird.

Anyway, I have a problem with all these studies in general. They only measure short term effects. Show me a study that proves violent games cause long term effects that lead to the violent acts that they are so often tied to and I'll believe they are related.

# .. — Musev 2009-03-31 20:30

I realise its not the whole world but the people I know that play games are the less violent, angry.. its the ones that dont didnt play games that have temper problems in the real world.

this going from about age 10 to age 28 its all ways been the same, Ive even heard comments from old people asking...

"how come the kids that are into computer games dont have any aggression away from the game"

... because they they release it all when playing?

# Spot on — FreePlay 2009-04-01 01:01

That last paragraph is the real problem here. They also need to demonstrate the presence or absence of some sort of cumulative effect, like Jack Thompson's claim that people "train" on something. Training implies an increase in aggression over time.

# AGREE! — EvilWabbit 2009-04-01 01:09

definantly agree with you. i play many of the most violent video games out there. and i dont get angry at all..... because it is a great release from everyday stress... where you can go online or into a virtual setting and do what the ***** you like.. ( thanks GTA )

# What really causes aggression... — roach7676 2009-04-01 03:23

I watch my aggression levels, and those of my 11-year old son, and find that we are more relaxed while playing FPS games than most others, due to the fact that they tend to be less frustrating. Things are lain out better, there are not many impossible acts to complete, nor are there many "game-enders" that occur... On the contrary, I see him getting the most aggressive while playing Little Big Planet, on a user created board where the layout just sucks and it is impossible to complete a board, or worse yet, while playing the PSN version of Wheel of Fortune! Last night he was screaming because the final puzzle answer was "FLAPDOODLE," this following one where the answer was "KAPOOEY." What the hell kind of phrases are those anyways?

Aggression (at least in our little informal family-based study) seems to stem from impossible missions, or extremely difficult situations (driving games would fall into this). The release of stress we all experience from overcoming the enemy in a FPS, at least in our home, is a real relaxor!

# As roach7676 said........... — KingPepper 2009-04-01 11:48

He mentioned the word frustrating, that is the key word in all this, its not the violent games that make you violent oh no, its just frustration while playing games, single player or Online, because i am so SH*T at gaming hence why i am always pissed off after playing, because i am a bad loser basically, and yet i keep on coming back for more punishment time after time.

# They made a mistake with that study. — NickyP 2009-04-01 15:39

Of course no on will get aggrivated from playing an FPS.... offline.

No, had this study included Halo 3 online, I'm sure the participants aggression levels would be much, much higher.

# having aggresion during gaming is normal... — Rayn389 2009-04-03 00:24

Me being 20 and playing Sonic the hedgehog in its release on 1991 when i was 2 im an 18 yr gaming vet. and in my 18 yrs of gaming ive come that when im stressed out and I cant play a game like Saints row or GTA where I can just whack any individual because I suddenly feel the need to or go on Burnout and run someone off the road rather then go up my street find someone and do it for real or if I wanna get into a fight rather then find someone in real life to fight pop in DOA Street Fighter or Tekken.

When I play CoD4 the adreneline and aggression I give off is just the kind of release I need from what Evilwabbit said everyday stress. Im a cashier at a supermarket in the next town over and there are SOOOOO many retards that come there its outstanding personally i think we should missle strike that town... oh wait I think ill play some CoD4 haha

# Violent videogames are my therapy. — Knuxxie 2009-04-20 15:43

Dude, whenever I play Halo: 3 or GTA, etc., I always feel better afterwords. I get to take my real-life anger out on virtual people. I always feel way more relaxed after playing violent videogames... but that's just how I am, I guess.

# Interesting fact — Guest 2010-01-20 08:19

I am an 18yr old average dude and since i was 8~ or so I have played i think every possible game i could find and people think that's impossible to make me angry although aggression output in some games i play is extremely high

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