The psychological effect of video games on gamers

[Chreman]

So, a plea for help. . . buddy of mine is writing a paper surrounding the topic and I promised I'd help him look for articles based on studies that have been performed in the field. Problem is, I can't seem to track down much of anything along the lines (I don't know his exact topic, just something to the effect of analyzing whether or not games turn your brain to mush)

Any help would be appreciated and I've learned my lesson to not offer help upfront if I'm unsure on being able to deliver. . .

[Lordwafik]

People become self centred pricks who stop having faith in religion/morals/society and hate the outside world. They become self destructive and depressed

There, I summarized all of them.

[Blubbartron]

Don't forget about how it makes them violent!

[The Stig]

GTA

*incoming shitstorm*

afk

[Acturus]

Have you tried here:

http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/

[Darunia]

Gotta agree with wafik here, since i started playing games more ive been showing greater signs of misanthropy than ever.
Only real explaination would be because when im online im constantly with people who share my interests, compared to the outside world where people are generally not interesting in the slightest.

[TacoTaru]

I don't know how helpful this is, but there was a Dr. Phil episode that aired a few days ago about game addiction. If you could find the transcript that could probably work.

Also, and I know this isn't an article, but depending on the angle s/he was taking there's a book called Playstation Nation about the effects of gaming on youth. It's obviously biased about how it's ruining it, but at least it would be a counterpoint if s/he is arguing the opposite.

[Vandalhart]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art..._games_on.html

Something I found with a quick google search.
I remember hearing something to this affect in the past.

I have by personal experience seen that sports video games help kids learn sports skills. Children learn many things while playing sports games for example: Hand/Eye coordination, rules of the game, and they also get to test out what works and what doesn't in a game like situation.

Hand / eye coordination is improved by playing sports video games. During baseball season, my stepson, learned how to play several baseball games and would play them before his games and practices. Video games today are so realistic and lifelike that his batting average actually improved. Having to respond quickly and watch the ball on the screen and determine when to swing (or push the button), actually helped him when he was at the plate in the real game.

Are you just looking for negative stuff?

[TacoTaru]

Gotta agree with wafik here, since i started playing games more ive been showing greater signs of misanthropy than ever.

Work at a library in reference or at the check out counter; you get the same experience and get paid for it. I'm sure it applies to any other customer service job that's free to all ranges of the public. Either way, I wouldn't say it's a common effect of video games; at least with anyone I know personally.

[Norellicus]

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Theft-Ch...4681179&sr=8-1

These people actually know what the fuck they're talking about, unlike Dr Phil (dear god PLEASE don't use his transcript; that guy had serious problems, but it wasn't because of videogames).

[0ni0n]

I hear people throw around the word "addiction" with regard to gaming or any hobbies that are remotely entertaining. What constitutes an addiction? I haven't heard people who read alot of books being called "addicted to books", and I know quite a number of people who literally stay in a library for 4-5 hours a day. Americans spend on average 20 hours a week watching TV, yet that's considered the norm and quite normal. I see no reason we can't use those 20 hours on gaming instead. plus, there are also the social and task oriented aspects of gaming that is actually beneficial to gamers in improving multitask, problem solving, and critical thinking.

[Darunia]

Work at a library in reference or at the check out counter; you get the same experience and get paid for it. I'm sure it applies to any other customer service job that's free to all ranges of the public. Either way, I wouldn't say it's a common effect of video games; at least with anyone I know personally.

Did work at a supermarket on checkouts for a few years, guess that is a major factor into it.

[Vandalhart]

Work at a library in reference or at the check out counter; you get the same experience and get paid for it. I'm sure it applies to any other customer service job that's free to all ranges of the public. Either way, I wouldn't say it's a common effect of video games; at least with anyone I know personally.

I know this falls under the umbrella of "customer service" but call centres are also a huge factor in this if you've worked at one.

[kuronosan]

Funny, I just finished my sociology paper on this same subject and found that while video games are becoming increasingly violent studies found that mental stability and home life played a larger role in how video games affected people.

[Vandalhart]

Funny, I just finished my sociology paper on this same subject and found that while video games are becoming increasingly violent studies found that mental stability and home life played a larger role in how video games affected people.

I'm not surprised at all.

[The Stig]

Don't forget, it's also tradition that girls tend to dress less and less and les.... (SC3?)

Not that it's a bad thing but it could have a serious effect on ... some.

[Alleya]

Does your friend not have access to online journal databases? As simple search turned up peer reviewed research along the lines of...

"Player Guild Dynamics and Evolution in Massively Multiplayer Online Games."

"Personality Traits and Life Satisfaction among Online Game Players."

"Do Aggressive People Play Violent Computer Games in a More Aggressive Way? Individual Difference and Idiosyncratic Game-Playing Experience."

"Induced Attitude Change on Online Gaming among Adolescents: An Application of the Less-Leads-to-More Effect."

"Personality Differences between Online Game Players and Nonplayers in a Student Sample."

"A Low-Cost Video Game Applied for Training of Upper Extremity Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study."

Then another 5 pages.

P.S. Your friend's apparent thesis is pretty crappy. He should refine it and make it more specific and less black and white.

[kuronosan]

Society is the main reason for the change in how we act, whether it's the social-conflict model or not (which breeds change). In the paper, I think I discovered two major points made by psychologists:

1) That children subjected to violent video games do not show any more or aggression than children not subjected to them; rather, they are much more calm after having played them with correct supervision. Parental supervision and involvement is a key factor in how games affect a child's world view.

2) That the way people play video games directly reflects their personality and real-life world view. Outside influences have a greater impact on this as well as peers - for example, there was a shooting in February at NIU by Steven Kazmierczak - he killed 5 students. He was known to play CounterStrike just as much (if not maybe less) than other students, most of whom played the game and lived in the same dorm... yet none of them shot up the school.

There are many arguments for this point too, stating just the opposite... that video games have more of an effect on gamers than society does... but there have been far more conclusive studies of the former.

[Zeb]

I did a paper on this last year. I couldn't find any research studies really detailed in its findings, but this is some of the useful stuff I did find.

Works Cited

Benedetti, Winda. “Were video games to blame for massacre?” MSNBC 20 Apr. 2007. 21 July 2008. <http://www.msnbc.com>.

The Entertainment Software Association, 2008. 21 July 2008. <http://www.theesa.com>. This has the best information on demographics and other figures your friend will probably want to use

Forbes. “Video Game Overuse May Be an Addiction: Experts.” Forbes 22 Jun. 2007. 21 July 2008. <http://www.forbes.com>.

Kutner, Lawrence, and Cheryl K. Olson. “Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games, And What Parents Can Do.” New York: Simon & Schuster. 2008

PBS. “The Video Game Revolution: The History of Games.” KCTS Television. 2008. 21 July 2008. <http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/history/timeline_flash.html>

Schiesel, Seth. “P.E. Classes Turn to Video Game That Works Legs.” New York Times 30 Apr. 2007. 21 July 2008 <http://www.nytimes.com>.

Square-Enix “Final Fantasy XI: Disclaimer.” Square-Enix 2008. 21 July 2008 <http://www.playonline.com>.

Walden, Jonathon. “McDonald's CEO Says Video Games Are to Blame for Childhood Obesity.” Associated Content, Inc. 11 Jan. 2008. 21 July 2008. <http://www.associatedcontent.com>.

Woodcock, Bruce Sterling. “Total MMOG Active Subscriptions” 9 Apr. 2008 21 July 2008. <http://www.mmogchart.com>.

[fantasticdan]

I hear people throw around the word "addiction" with regard to gaming or any hobbies that are remotely entertaining. What constitutes an addiction? I haven't heard people who read alot of books being called "addicted to books", and I know quite a number of people who literally stay in a library for 4-5 hours a day. Americans spend on average 20 hours a week watching TV, yet that's considered the norm and quite normal. I see no reason we can't use those 20 hours on gaming instead. plus, there are also the social and task oriented aspects of gaming that is actually beneficial to gamers in improving multitask, problem solving, and critical thinking.

I would consider it an addiction when people forgo real life obligations, ignore friends and family, etc to play games. I don't think many people have a problem like that with books or TV, but I see many people like that with MMORPGs. Avoiding doing things in real life because you see your LS events/raids/etc as more important isn't exactly a healthy mindset.