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Mental health and PC games don't mix |
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By Michael Jones
The ongoing discussion regarding the effect of media violence on
behaviour has been revisited by scientists in a study conducted by
researchers at the University of Missourri-Columbia.
The study added to the debate by looking at the responses of
participants playing popular computer/video games, such as Doom, Mortal
Kombat and Grand Theft Auto.
These games involve the participants in brutal killings, often using
high-powered weaponry, and behaviour that in their day to day life would
be considered criminal, to solve situations that are presented to them.
Thirty-nine long term gamers were studied and were found to have altered
brain activity.
An electroencephalograph machine was used to measure the response in the
brain by recording brain waves as the viewer was presented with a
particular image. The resulting measurement, known as a P300 response,
is a reflection of the viewers evaluation of the emotional content of an
image.
If a person is surprised or disturbed by an image this brain
activity response will be larger.
The participants were shown a variety of real-life images interspersed
with violent scenes and other non-violent images.
In the subjects with the most experience of playing violent games the
P300 brain activity response to the violent images was less and somewhat
delayed. However their responses were still normal for the non-violent
images.
Psychologist Bruce Bartholomew, who led the research, said "people (in
the study) who play a lot of violent video games didn't see them as much
different from neutral images" (presented to them).
The researchers suggest that this adds support to previous studies in
which avid players of violent games become desensitised to depictions of
otherwise "shocking" acts of aggression.
Critics of this line of thought argue that previous studies correlating
such games with aggressive behaviour have only shown a tendency for
already aggressive people to gravitate towards such games.
This University of Missourri-Columbia study however demonstrates an
actual change in brain activity, suggesting a causal link between long
term exposure to violent computer games and desentistisation to violence
in other circumstances. Such desensitivity has been well documented and
has resulted in the use of similar games to prepare soldiers for scenes
of war.
Further on in the study the game players were given an opportunity to
"punish" an imaginary opponent in another game. Those with the greatest
reduction in brain activity were the most enthusiastic "punisher's".
In an early report of the study, published on newscientist.com, the
website of the scientific journal, Bartholomew says, "as far as I'm
aware this is the first study to show that exposure to violent games has
effects on the brain that predict aggressive behaviour". Even when a
subjects possible pre-existing hostility was allowed for the games'
experience and reduced brain activity were strongly correlated with
increased aggressiveness.
The full study can be found in the Journal of Experimental Social
Psychology.
In a similar vein is a study conducted by the University College London,
and appearing in the journal Nature, where magnetic resonance brain
imaging was used to measure the responses of volunteers who were
required to reward or punish actors participating in a money investment
game.
The actors were to be given a mild electric shock in response to
behaviour that was perceived as "fair" or "unfair" in the context of the
game.
When the actor perceived as acting fairly received the shock both male
and female volunteers showed empathy activation in pain related areas of
the brain.
When the actor perceived as acting unfairly received a shock female
volunteers showed similar "empathic" brain image responses. The male
volunteers however showed no such response but did show a surge in
activity in the "reward" region of the brain. |
