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A big discovery that will change your attitude to gaming.
A recent study by neuroscientists from the University of Vienna sheds light on a long-debated topic: the impact of violent video games on adult empathy. The findings contradict previous findings about a potential link between violent gaming and reduced empathy.
The study included 89 adult males who had little or no prior experience playing violent video games. Each participant was asked to play 7 separate one-hour video game sessions over several days. Participants were divided into two groups: one played a particularly violent version of the game Grand Theft Auto V with the goal of killing as many characters as possible, while the other group played a modified version without elements of violence, completing the task of photographing characters.
To measure the participants level of empathy, tests were used before and after the game session, including measuring the response to electric shocks received by other people, as well as monitoring brain activity in areas associated with empathy. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the level of empathy between the two groups after the game. This means that a few hours of playing violent video games did not significantly affect empathy in mentally healthy adults.
However, the researchers emphasize that the results should not be interpreted as definitive proof of the harmlessness of violent video games. Experts also point out the ethical limitations of studying the long-term impact of such games on children, whose brains are more plastic and may be more susceptible to influence.
This study is a step in a series of future experiments to study the effects of video games on empathy, and highlights the need for rigorous monitoring of research and long-term work to draw more concrete conclusions about the effects of video games.
A recent study by neuroscientists from the University of Vienna sheds light on a long-debated topic: the impact of violent video games on adult empathy. The findings contradict previous findings about a potential link between violent gaming and reduced empathy.
The study included 89 adult males who had little or no prior experience playing violent video games. Each participant was asked to play 7 separate one-hour video game sessions over several days. Participants were divided into two groups: one played a particularly violent version of the game Grand Theft Auto V with the goal of killing as many characters as possible, while the other group played a modified version without elements of violence, completing the task of photographing characters.
To measure the participants level of empathy, tests were used before and after the game session, including measuring the response to electric shocks received by other people, as well as monitoring brain activity in areas associated with empathy. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the level of empathy between the two groups after the game. This means that a few hours of playing violent video games did not significantly affect empathy in mentally healthy adults.
However, the researchers emphasize that the results should not be interpreted as definitive proof of the harmlessness of violent video games. Experts also point out the ethical limitations of studying the long-term impact of such games on children, whose brains are more plastic and may be more susceptible to influence.
This study is a step in a series of future experiments to study the effects of video games on empathy, and highlights the need for rigorous monitoring of research and long-term work to draw more concrete conclusions about the effects of video games.
