AfterDawn: Tech news

Gamers feel more relaxed after playing violent games?

Written by James Delahunty @ 04 Apr 2008 7:02 User comments (14)

Gamers feel more relaxed after playing violent games?

We have heard research that link video games to almost every human emotion in existence and still have come no closer to figuring out the true effect, if any, that this content has on impressionable minds. Nevertheless, since it is a hot and controversial topic in almost all regions where video games enjoy strong sales, we like to publish the results of studies and let users renew the debate.
Develop Magazine has conducted research that involved 292 World of Warcraft players aged between twelve years and eighty-three years. The results allegedly show that, contrary to a popular belief and several other papers, playing video games that depict levels of violence leads players to feel calmed and tired.

Of course, whether World of Warcraft is the best title to determine the effect is debatable too, but it still is an interesting result. "There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game as opposed to experiencing anger but this did very much depend on personality type," said Jane Barnett, who headed the Middlesex study.



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


Get regular news updates from AfterDawn.com by subscribing to our RSS feeds using the Subscribe button below. If you have been living in a cave for a few years now and don't know how to use RSS feeds, then Click Here to read a Guide on how to use RSS (and other) feeds.

Previous Next  

14 user comments

14.4.2008 19:19

I can understand feeling more relaxed. I don't play violent games but I would imagine that is anything it lets you get the anger out, and thus, you get the feel relaxed. But hey, that's just what I think. There are teams of researcher's on it so no one cares what I think ;_;

24.4.2008 19:19

I read something similar to this a while back. I personally feel better by taking all frustrations of a long day out on some poor online opponent by shooting them in the face.

34.4.2008 19:36

Originally posted by ooZEROoo:
I read something similar to this a while back. I personally feel better by taking all frustrations of a long day out on some poor online opponent by shooting them in the face.
True..

44.4.2008 19:57

What? Are you asking that in psychiatry is it called "Agression Therapy"???

54.4.2008 20:03
susieqbbb
Inactive

I like this because there was a study done in florida where they found that gamers who played violent video games had better hand and eye coordination then gamers that didn't the study also found you didn't even have to play a extremely violent game. most of the games that users where placed on where games like.

Super mario sunshine

legend of zelda: oot

And the most violent they placed users on.

Grand theft auto III.

64.4.2008 21:22

they all relax me to an extent, unless i'm playing local multiplayer.
i wouldn't say the violent ones relax me anymore, but still...
i'm about to relax a little right now.
-puts in no more heroes-

74.4.2008 22:39

World of Warcraft which is the game they used in this study hardly counts as the type of game that would insite tension. The game is almost zen. That's like saying people are more relaxed after playing "Endless Ocean" or "Bejeweled".

85.4.2008 00:11
Ludikhris
Inactive

Catharsis

95.4.2008 08:43

I hurt small woodland creatures to ease agressive tension.

I play video games for fun. Not anger management, or as relaxation therapy, or to make me lose weight, or be more influential.

I play for fun.

105.4.2008 19:20

I personally find it extremely stressing whenever i play on a local network a game like unreal or CS, i get way to much involved in the competition, although whenever i stop i feel relaxed, theres only so much i can play, unless the competition sucks then i can be pawning noobs for a real long time with no stress whatsoever ;)

115.4.2008 21:31

I hate MPing, mostly due to the fact I can not type and look at the screen that and by the time I buy said game the MP servers are dead.....hehehehehe

but anyway I do so enjoy my FPSs good lord a good gib is so relaxing,its almost better than sex....(well i never had have had sex so what do i know :P)

126.4.2008 10:50

Originally posted by Wolfkin:
World of Warcraft which is the game they used in this study hardly counts as the type of game that would insite tension. The game is almost zen. That's like saying people are more relaxed after playing "Endless Ocean" or "Bejeweled".

second that, wow it's not violent

real violent games will get you relaxed if you are good, if not u'll get stressed and start smashing things around. not the desired behavior right?

136.4.2008 14:08

thats why they didnt measure REAL VIOLENT games.. its just to show that angry kids calm down after beating up a bunch of people online.. not everyone has a lvl 70..

146.4.2008 17:38

Originally posted by ooZEROoo:
I read something similar to this a while back. I personally feel better by taking all frustrations of a long day out on some poor online opponent by shooting them in the face.
agree, unless im the one is getting owned by some1

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

VLC hits milestone: over 5 billion downloads VLC hits milestone: over 5 billion downloads (16 Mar 2024 4:31)
VLC Media Player, the versatile video-software powerhouse, has achieved a remarkable feat: it has been downloaded over 5 billion times.
2 user comments
Sideloading apps to Android gets easier, as Google settles its lawsuit Sideloading apps to Android gets easier, as Google settles its lawsuit (19 Dec 2023 11:09)
Google settled its lawsuit in September 2023, and one of the settlement terms was that the way applications are installed on Android from outside the Google Play Store must become simpler. In the future, installing APK files will be easier.
8 user comments
Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets (06 Jun 2023 9:19)
Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.
Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations (02 May 2023 3:38)
Neato Robotics has ceased its operations. American robot vacuum pioneer founded in 2005 has finally called it quits and company will cease its operations and sales. Only a skeleton crew will remain who will keep the servers running until 2028.
5 user comments
How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp (20 Mar 2023 1:25)
The world's most popular messaging platform, Meta-owned WhatsApp has enabled sending messages to yourself. While at first, this might seem like an odd feature, it can be very useful in a lot of situations. ....
18 user comments

News archive