Computer games make players less violent

[PkmnTrainerJ]

A new study of computer gamers has found that a session in front of World of Warcraft can make players less stressed and more calm..

The study questioned 292 male and female online gamers aged between 12 and 83 about anger and stress. They then played the game for two hours and were retested.

"There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game as opposed to experiencing anger, but this very much depended on personality type," said team leader Jane Barnett from Middlesex University.

"This will help us develop an emotion and gaming questionnaire to distinguish the type of gamer who is likely to transfer their online aggression into everyday life."

Barnett's paper was presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference in Dublin.

The conference also heard that people who play computer games obsessively display similar characteristics to those suffering from Asperger syndrome.

Dr John Charlton, of the University of Bolton, and Ian Danforth, of Whitman College in the US, found that the personalities of gamers became more akin to Asperger sufferers the deeper their addiction becomes.

This is typically characterised by neuroticism, and lack of extraversion and agreeableness.

"The thinking in the field is that there is a scale along which people, even those considered to be 'normal', can be placed on," said Dr Charlton.

"And that people such as engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists are nearer to the non-empathising, systemising end of the spectrum, with people with Asperger syndrome even further along again.

"Our research supports the idea that people who are heavily involved in game playing may be nearer to autistic spectrum disorders than people who have no interest in gaming."

Source: http://www.itnews.com.au/News/73410,comput...ss-violent.aspx

Nice to see a study not knocking video games for once.

[Benji]

These studies are always stupid, whether for or against, one item doesn't make a person significantly more or less violent.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I'd agree that videogame addictions do lead to characteristics similar to Aspergers. (Y)

[NobBe Nobbs]

These studies are always stupid, whether for or against, one item doesn't make a person significantly more or less violent.

Speak for yourself, my roommates' corpses are starting to stink up the place. One of them asked if the cursing was really necessary and I killed them both with a steak knife

[Crybaby Bunting]

But how do you define Aspergus related symtoms from video games alone? Surely not communicating with the "outside world" is bad in some ways but when you're concentrating on a game would it be any worse than concentrating on a good book or film?

A characteristic of Aspergus is also to speak without showing eye contact... Well obviously when you're playing Mario Kart you're not going to turn round and reply to a question when the next corner could screw up the entire race.

To an outsider it probably does look awkward that a person is not communicating and staring at a screen whilst mashing buttons, but if that person was watching a film or their favourate TV show they'd be pretty pissed that they might miss a key storyline part.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I'd imagine it'd be more to do with the obsessive focussing on certain subjects, the uncomfortable nature of being away from the console or game (often attributed to those "addicted" to WoW) and more. However it's as easily linked to addiction as aspergers.

[Iain76er]

All depends on how much lag there is. If everyone had a decent internet connection violence would be eradicated.

[MalaCloudy Black]

12 and 83

I want to meet the 83 year old that plays World of Warcraft. I wonder what class he'd play?

[Plubby]

He's a night elf mohawk. Didn't you see the ads?

[TEOL]

A lot of my housemates like to sneak up on me when I'm playing Guitar Hero, knowing that I won't turn around even when I can sense someone there because anyone can have friends, but getting five hundred note streaks takes effort.

But then I've always been weird so I guess my experiences don't count