In a new study, researchers have demonstrated that exposure to violent videogames affects parts of the brain linked with aggression.
Violent games and aggression again. This time, a study appears to have drawn links between exposure to violent videogames and changes in parts of the brain associated with aggression.
The research, from Dr. Yang Wang et al, used functional MRI scanning to demonstrate that extended exposure to such games causes temporary changes in regions of the brain that play a role in the management of aggression and emotion.
22 healthy adult males, age 18 to 29, with low past exposure to violent videogames were split into two groups. One was the control group, and played no violent games. The other played “a shooting game” for a week. It was demonstrated that those who did play the game had less activation in the left inferior frontal lobe and the anterior cingulate cortex, compared to those of the control group the control group.
One week later the tests were repeated, and it was found that the results were less pronounced. This seems to suggest a short-term effect rather than a long-term one, although slightly confusingly it is a “long-term effect” that the researchers claim to have found.
What the study does not show – even though the Daily Mail decided to pretend otherwise – is that violent videogames cause aggression. No more actual aggressive behaviour or tendencies were recorded. It merely demonstrates that the same areas of the brain are affected.
The study has not yet been published, and so has not yet been subjected to peer review, which is when this sort of research really gets scrutinised. It is also, as RPS expertly noticed, funded by the Center for Successful Parenting, whose website seems to suggest they might have just a slight agenda when it comes to this sort of stuff. They might as well have just scrawled “VIOLENT MEDIA WILL KILL YOUR CHILDREN” across a web page and leave it at that.
If any more information on this story comes to light, we’ll be sure to report it. We quite like our science-meets-gaming gumph here at BeefJack.
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Interesting, but far from conclusive. fMRI is notoriously tricky to correlate with real-world behaviour, and “less activation” doesn’t mean much without a significantly better understanding of the regions involved than we have right now.
Still, good job on reporting on these things. It’s encouraging to see gaming sites reporting potentially negative effects of gaming. I’d be astonished if the Daily Fail were willing to write about studies indicating potentially positive effects.
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sqrrl101 (November 29th, 2011)
There is a direct link between media hypes and aggression.
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Mark Ankucic (November 29th, 2011)