AfterDawn: News

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.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 4 Apr 2008 19:02

• Previous article

• Warner embraces VOD in UK

• Next article

• MySpace launces music service

• 14 comments

• 21Q

  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 ;_;

  4.4.2008 19:19 #1

• 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.

  4.4.2008 19:19 #2

• B33rdrnkr

  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..

  4.4.2008 19:36 #3

• iluvendo

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

  4.4.2008 19:57 #4

• susieqbbb

  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.

  4.4.2008 20:03 #5

• snowlock

  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-

  4.4.2008 21:22 #6

• 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".

  4.4.2008 22:39 #7

• Ludikhris

  Catharsis

  5.4.2008 00:11 #8

• 7thsinger

  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.

  5.4.2008 08:43 #9

• Gradical

  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 ;)

  5.4.2008 19:20 #10

• ZippyDSM

  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)

  5.4.2008 21:31 #11

• chaos_zzz

  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?

  6.4.2008 10:50 #12

• lxfactor

  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..

  6.4.2008 14:08 #13

• mrgooey

  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

  6.4.2008 17:38 #14