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Computer Games Make Players Less Violent

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the obviously-never-been-ganked-in-the-arathi-highlands dept.

Stony Stevenson writes "A new study of computer gamers has found that a session in front of World of Warcraft can make players less stressed and more calm. The study questioned 292 male and female online gamers aged between 12 and 83 about anger and stress. They then played the game for two hours and were retested. "There were actually higher levels of relaxation before and after playing the game as opposed to experiencing anger, but this very much depended on personality type," said team leader Jane Barnett from Middlesex University."

7 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. This just in... by genesus · · Score: 5, Funny

    This just in...leisure reduces stress!

    1. Re:This just in... by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Interesting

      This just in...leisure reduces stress! While this is true, there have been many criticisms of World of Warcraft. Even on Slashdot, we have seen people writing purple prose about the game destroying their lives worse than a heroin addiction. This study may present evidence that stories like the above are inherent problems with that person's ability to prioritize what is most important to them in their lives. They're free to pick Warcraft as #1 but I question why they wrote that piece if they did.

      My friends have often commented that Warcraft is their second job and jokingly hate it for its 'grind.' Why do they play? Because it's still stress reduction, in my opinion.

      So while you may find it obvious, there are caveats that make this interesting to some readers. I found it interesting and wonder now if people will compare it to cigarettes even though there's no chemical exchange (people love terrible analogies). You know, my parents and grandparents that live in the middle of nowhere used to waste hours playing cards with each other. Why? Because it reduced stress, I'm sure. I don't think Warcraft is any different.
      --
      My work here is dung.
    2. Re:This just in... by arivanov · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually no.

      In a game you can vent build up stress. This is especially valid for games played in a group.

      I used to run a small company with two people - a husband and a wife. They were shouting at each other constantly, quarreling, slammed doors and so on. Stress to the roof. I sold my share to them and left.

      A year later I came to see them. Nice, quiet, tranquil. I could not understand what was going on until I found out that they play Doom, deathmatch, no monsters every day for at least half an hour... Ahh... The joy of creeping on your best beloved with a double barrel shotgun and blowing his head off... Aaaa.... Wonderful...

      By the way, cooperative play does not do it. We tried later on to play Tie-Fighter vs X-Wing and it did not work out.

      --
      Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
      http://www.sigsegv.cx/
    3. Re:This just in... by Jurily · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ahh... The joy of creeping on your best beloved with a double barrel shotgun and blowing his head off... Aaaa.... Wonderful... Agreed. So much more cheaper than a divorce lawyer.
  2. Middlesex University by QX-Mat · · Score: 5, Informative

    For the those unaware of the British University system, you need to automatically take a popularist study from a poly-technical University with plenty of salt.

    1. Re:Middlesex University by gfxguy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      While that may be the case, it's been my anecdotal experience that kids who are allowed to play violent video games, and play with toy guns and other toy weapons, are much more relaxed and better behaved than kids who parents won't let them.

      I've even been scolded by people for play-fighting with my son.

      But then, I've had people come up to my wife and I out of the blue and tell us what nice, well behaved kids we have - at restaurants, on delayed flights that turned into multiple day ordeals...

      Sure, it's not just the games and playing, but if you let the kids let "it" out, it seems obvious to me that they can relieve their own built up tension. Stress isn't limited to adults, kids have a lot of pressures to deal with, too. Maybe not as much as adults, maybe their problems even seem trivial to us, but to a 10 year old they're not.

      I'd say it's a great life lesson in constructively dealing with stress.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
  3. Re:Shocking results by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Funny

    Shocking that a tool could be used in multifarious ways.
    You know what they say - "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a skull".
    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill