Report: Violent gamers are more 'relaxed'

[Dark Drakan]

Wonder if this 'report' will get as much press as the negative games reports... i think not... though maybe WoW wasnt the best game to use as an example. Though i guess they would have been seen as irresponsible if they had sat some 12 year olds in front of say Manhunt 2, GTA or Condemned 2.

Originally Posted by Gamespot

Violent video games are often blamed for real-world violence, and critics of the industry often cite academic studies to back up their claims. Now, a report presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Dublin says violent games may in fact lessen the urge to commit violent acts in the real world.

In a study conducted by Jane Barnett and colleagues at Middlesex University, psychologists found that gamers were more likely to be calm or simply tired after playing, rather than itching to go outside and kick someone's head in. The researchers surveyed 292 male and female online gamers aged between 12 and 83 and had them play the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. They were asked to complete a survey about anger, aggression, and personality prior to and following a two-hour session of WOW, which is only rated T for Teen in the US and 12+ in the UK.

Mostly, the researchers found that people were more tranquil after a good bout of Azerothian bloodletting. "There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game, as opposed to experiencing anger," Barnett said in a statement before adding the caveat, "This did very much depend on personality type."

[Arseface]

Well I think the last sentence proves that it was inconclusive. "There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game" doesn't really prove anything Especially saying, "This did very much depend on personality type." It doesn't prove anything except maybe that games don't effect people's personalities significantly. But maybe it was just the choice of game.

[Dark Drakan]

Originally Posted by Arseface

Well I think the last sentence proves that it was inconclusive. "There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game" doesn't really prove anything Especially saying, "This did very much depend on personality type." It doesn't prove anything except maybe that games don't effect people's personalities significantly. But maybe it was just the choice of game.

Will always depend on the personality in every study though and games will only effect moods not personality anyway.

[Arseface]

Yeah I meant moods.

[Tsuyu]

Heehehe. Middlesex. Middle...sex..

Aaanway, the reason I play a violent game is, partly, because I would never even think about doing so in real life.

[Dark Drakan]

Originally Posted by Tsuyu

Heehehe. Middlesex. Middle...sex..

Aaanway, the reason I play a violent game is, partly, because I would never even think about doing so in real life.

Thought you might pick up on that, we also have Sussex (and more that dont spring to mind at this time in the morning.)

I play them for the same reason i play any other game, to unwind and for fun. They just happen to chill me out and make me relax too.

[Tsuyu]

Come now, admit that you also play because it's not that often you get to saw an underground cave dweller in two with a chainsaw á la Gears of War... do you?

The human being is a violent creature, history tells us that and our own feelings, so getting it out in a virtual and fictional enviorment is a helluva lot better than doing so in real life.

[Dark Drakan]

Originally Posted by Tsuyu

Come now, admit that you also play because it's not that often you get to saw an underground cave dweller in two with a chainsaw á la Gears of War... do you?

The human being is a violent creature, history tells us that and our own feelings, so getting it out in a virtual and fictional enviorment is a helluva lot better than doing so in real life.

Well of course i love violence and gore too, thats no secret.