Brain sees violent games as real.

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LONDON (Reuters) - The brains of players of violent video games react as if the violence were real, a study has suggested.

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.

well i played lots of games and i see myself in the mirror and know im not aggressive, and i know im just playin games and not real life and that nobody is out to get me. it depends on a person's brain and how he or she can handle violence from the games. does he or she tells herself that this is just only a game or that they tell themselves that it happens in real life as well and need to watchout wen u leave yer safe and calm home.

i just cant stand this constant attack video games. Ive been playing games for a long time and i dont have any of violent characteristics they try to pin on gameplayers. If anything its good fun....and playing against human players is 10x more fun

But if you cant hold your violence go play a super turbo puzzle fighter turbo 2

I don't see it either. My brother plays video games a lot and he has never hurt a fly. I think this has to do more with the individual then the stupid game.

That's interesting. I play videogames CONSTANTLY, and when I'm not taking over the world in Civilization or space in Master of Orion, and I'm not romancing 3 kingdoms or anything, I'm usually playing shooters, fighters, driving sims, or City of Heroes.

The reason I say it's interesting, though, is not because I've become a violent person or anything (if anything, I'm a heck of a lot more tame than I used to be in my younger days).

I like to race when I'm up in the north woods of Wisconsin with my family. We race cars and go-karts since there's no one living out there. When I read that article, I realized I go into the same mental state playing Gran Turismo as I do when I'm racing a cousin in real life. This leads me to agree with the article in so far as the brain percieves it to be real and releases the same horomones and chemicals in the video situation as it does in the real one.

I would imagine it works the same way in videogames. Playing something like Target:Terror, I would slip into the "zone" poppin' those damn terrorists. The zone would be complete removal of any emotional reaction and just a cold, hard logical assessment of the screen, targets chosen, removed, repeat. I have a blast playing it (and have most of the top 10 scores on the thing at the local arcade ), but if you looked at me you wouldn't be able to tell.

However, has that game made me want to go out and just start shooting terrorists? No, 9-11 did that. No game has inspired me to emulate what I do in the game. Consciously I know the difference between reality and fantasy. However, it seems my mind at it's most fundamental levels puts its self into the same state it would were I actually facing that situation.

At least, I hope that if I'm getting shot at I'll be able to dismiss all emotion and handle it well (no peeing my pants).

Brain sees violent games as real.

It's SO true! After hours of playing DOOM, I grabbed a shotgun and wandered throughout my neighborhood, plugging everything in sight!

Take that you filthy demons!!! BOOM! chachink.... BOOM!

Seriously, I've played most of the violent games for years, and I'm probably one of the least violent people I know... People are just looking for an out. There is the bigger possibility that these kids were violent to begin with, and simply enjoyed violent games because of it...while many nonviolent kids also enjoy the games, but without becoming violent themselves....(more of a harmless way to vent, so they don't have to become violent).

IMHO - there is no inherently good or bad knowledge - and no inherently good or bad brain development, either. Just don't get stuck, or stop moving and growing.

Pong makes me very ANGRY!!!

Originally posted by Jonna
Pong makes me very ANGRY!!!

I learned my lesson in 8th grade with getting mad at video games. I was playing Final Fantasy 2 (4) on my SuperNES and had been for about 5 hours. Was doing great until I opened that chest in the bard's ruined castle that has the 3 mad ogres. They flattened me, I hadn't saved in about the same 5 hours, and I freaked out, throwing my controller at the SNES...Breaking it. DOH! Last violent outburst playing a video game I had. Now, if I get really annoyed or something, I just give the PS2 or PC a long, hard stare, and utter, "I wish you could feel pain". Then I restore my saved game and start playing again.

The funny thing is that when I am playing games I a focused and calm, but send me out to get groceries and I'm likely to intensionally smash into someone's shopping cart. And I don't even play racing games.

I find i ridiculous that some people want to ban video games. Why don't we ban airplanes because terrorists used airplanes to crash into the world trade center!

since i play Splinter Cell series, its not real enough to make me feel like Sam Fisher and sneak behind people and stab them. maybe future games and consoles that have visors thats light and sophisticated enough to make u feel scare or dizzy wen u wear it on. now dat would make yer brain feel like virtual world is the real world.

Originally posted by deltaboy
cnn.netscape.cnn.com...
LONDON (Reuters) -
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.

Did they test this theory against, say, making a deal on a car or house? Meeting a member of the opposite sex and making a move on them? Working the stock exchange? Working in general?
No they didn't, only video games and "some other violent thing" which they leave details of out so they are not laughed at.

Why didn't they expose the subjects to a comparable violent action that they see in the game, like, "A person is going to open the door, he will try to shoot you, you have to shoot him first"

Then REALLY test the mental and emotional and response, 9 times out of 10, it will not be like anything in a video game for the average sane person (25% of the population will suffer mental illness, 10% of Britains population already reports being mentally ill)

I'm sorry but picking up HALO and blasting a bunch of aliens is worlds away from even having a loud vocal argument with another person, galaxies from actually pulling a gun and killing.

They maybe correct in the assumption that Video Game violence is "conditioning", just like all media violence is conditioning.
Remember all the Ninja movies and TV shows in the very early 80's?
What happened after that?
Our police forces started using the same black masks for drug raids when Reagan curtailed Posse Comatatus (the law that says US military can not act on US soil against the citizens) for the drug war.
How long has the "COPS" show been on? Over ten years or something?
How many cop shows have been on since TV was invented? I can't even count.
What movie came out the Friday or two after 9/11? "Black Hawk Down" and some war romance crap.

The shepards know their sheep well.

Ok I'm going to go back to playing my latest Xbox rental: "DESTROY ALL HUMANS!"

Being some one who plays video games and also works on them. I'd have to say this is rubbish. I have yet to see a video game be the direct cause of violent behaviour in some one.

I have been playing GTA: San Andreas a lot (and I mean a lot) now that it's out for PC. I have yet to shoot some one, steal a car, etc.

Like a few others have said, it has more to do with the individual person. And that person most likely has issues that need to be worked out. Perhaps they shouldn't be playing video games, but I wouldn't say the games lead them to cause harm to another. There are millions apon millions of people who play video games, if they truely cause people to go violent... well, i'm sure there would be tons of killing sprees going on all over the world then.

Originally posted by nukunuku


But if you cant hold your violence go play a superpuzzle fighter 2 turbo

Or play it if you wanna play a puzzle game that blows Tetris outta the water.


[edit on 6/22/05 by NotTooHappy]

I recently saw a car chase on television the other day.

THe suspects were 15, 14 and 13 years old. The 15-year-old was the driver.

It was the most skilled display of evading the police I've ever seen outside of a movie theater.

My point is that this kid had done this before, not in the real qorld, but a virtual one. The object is not to get people to become violent. It is to help people become accustomed to being around violence, so that they train themselves into thinking and behaving in a way that will help them survive in a war-like environment.

More of a conditioning thing than hypnosis or mind control.

I have played video games since I was four years old...and I've never jumped on someones head for coins, Spindashed them, Or blew them away with a Tracer/Laser combo pistol. , lots of old game refs there. But seriously, I always thought that if anything... playing violent video games actually stops people from going into work and blasting their boss full of lead. I mean..you get out all your anger in the game....calming you down....you know I'm basically talking about Grand theft auto right? Anyway....I played my most violent games in my most "volitile stage" of life.You know...the early teenage years. Plus everyday of school was a misery for me....but I never actually had the urge to be like..." hey, I should get back at those kids by bringing in a flamethrower and torching them all." Actually....the games never really had that much of an effect on me at all....I mean they were fun to play....but thats all.

you'dd all better watch out, i play violent video games and i'm about to SNAP.

Nah just kidding, actualy, in my work as youth counselor i have read lots of studies on the effects of games on young adolescents.

The video game situation is not as bleak as some would have us believe. Experts say that video gaming can develop some valuable capabilities:

*Proficiency at following directions.
*Enhanced problem-solving and logic skills.
*Fine hand-eye coordination.
*Functions as a healthy agression channeler.

I always play voilent video games, the others are just boring. (Except for racing and airplane games). I don't think about killing people when I play them, I just see the enemy or the person and kill them. I don't go "oh a person, this isn't real but if it was I'd still kill them".
It's just a game. If you can't notice the difference between a game and reality then you should be out playing Tennis or something.

Originally posted by NotTooHappy

Originally posted by nukunuku


But if you cant hold your violence go play a superpuzzle fighter 2 turbo

Or play it if you wanna play a puzzle game that blows Tetris outta the water.


[edit on 6/22/05 by NotTooHappy]

I see you know your games
Hehe, and chicks dig this one as well

I must say making games did make me want to beat up a few of my ex bosses with a baseball bat, playing the games didnt

VG are just a medium, just like radio, tv,books....a very powerfull at that...certainly something to look at in the future.

Anyone remembers parrapa the rapper?

kick,punch its all in the mind
if you wanna test me im sure youll find
things i teach you be sure to reach you
nevertheless, youll get a lesson from teacher...

master onion rap

priceless

Still today when I see a security camera, I get the urge to shoot it out with a sniper rifle.