Posted on 06/22/2005 1:53:33 PM PDT by Callahan
LONDON (Reuters) - The brains of players of violent video games react as if the violence were real, a study has suggested. ADVERTISEMENT
Klaus Mathiak at the University of Aachen in Germany studied the brain patterns of 13 men aged 18 to 26 who, on average, played video games for two hours a day.
Wired up to a scanner, they were asked to play a game involving navigating through a complicated bunker, killing attackers and rescuing hostages.
Mathiak found that as violence became imminent, the cognitive parts of the brain became active and that during a fight, emotional parts of the brain were shut down.
The pattern was the same as that seen in subjects who have had brain scans during other simulated violent situations.
It suggests that video games are a "training for the brain to react with this pattern," Mathiak says.
The research was presented at a meeting in Canada and reported by New Scientist magazine.
Whether violent videos make people more aggressive though is hard to prove, the magazine noted. Studies have suggested players of violent games are in fact more aggressive but have left open the question of whether the games made them that way.
Yeah, retarded brains.
So I wonder how it seesthe queer cartoons like teletubbies. I think I would rather my kids play GTA than watch teletubbies. That's some scary crap!
Alien brains too.
So whats the point? Are they trying to find results that fit their preconceived opinions?
Starting to sound like D&D villification in rebirth...
I know of two 20-somethings who have so far spent their summer break playing "Warcraft" -- literally hours a day, and deep into the night. Their parents are concerned they're wasting time (duh!), but my comment has been, "Well, at least they have a life (/sarcarsm)."
This could actually be an advantage when you consider the fact that our enemies are brightly colored cartoon creatures whom we defeat by jumping on their heads at exactly the right moment.
DUH!
What's "GTA"?
Nope. Regular brains.
Distinctions of fake and real
are post exposure,
and only happen
at "higher" levels of thought.
The brain just sees stuff.
I'm at the part in GTA: San Andreas where you have to battle the Ballas and Esses for gang territory. After my wife leaves for work, I spend ten minutes doing drive-bys. Gets me in the right frame of mind for the office.
"The pattern was the same as that seen in subjects who have had brain scans during other simulated violent situations."
So that means it's like real violence? Huh?
Mm.
Wish I could see this reported on by a credible news source.
Dan
This is going to be a big topic in the coming months. Jack Thompson has a book coming out about this topic called Out of Harm's Way, and there is also a documentary that is supposed to be a huge deal called Moral Kombat.
I have been having a ball with GT4. :-)
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