Critical Miss: Gamer Science

[Andronicus]

Too true. Gamers are so quick to try to discredit or dismiss studies that come out in some way against their hobby, but herald pro-game studies as the truth. You can't have it both ways, guys.

Well, what are we supposed to say? "You know what? Maybe I really am just one more ragequit away from going postal with an SMG down the local mall." I don't buy it. If this was a serious issue, why don't we see horror stories revolving around gamers in the newspapers every day? Most news stories that feature "killer gamers", show us obviously highly unstable people, and who totally played Call of Duty that one time. Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that videogames turn people into mindless, unfit zombies, who sometimes recover just for long enough to become raging psychopaths.

 

[Sebenko]

Well, he may not have shot John Lennon, but he might have killed Gabe Newell with neurotoxin.

deadly neurotoxin.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Too true. Gamers are so quick to try to discredit or dismiss studies that come out in some way against their hobby, but herald pro-game studies as the truth. You can't have it both ways, guys.

Well, what are we supposed to say? "You know what? Maybe I really am just one more ragequit away from going postal with an SMG down the local mall." I don't buy it. If this was a serious issue, why don't we see horror stories revolving around gamers in the newspapers every day? Most news stories that feature "killer gamers", show us obviously highly unstable people, and who totally played Call of Duty that one time. Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that videogames turn people into mindless, unfit zombies, who sometimes recover just for long enough to become raging psychopaths.

Not having the majority of comments on a negative game article being "lalala, can't hear you", "Like psychology is a real science", and my personal favorite: "[insert anecdotal evidence that has no point or relevance]" would be a great start. You know how we prove we aren't all man-children? Respond rationally and sensibly to claims.

 

[cynicalsaint1]

Its called Confirmation Bias [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias].

That said, I still have yet to read a study linking gaming to violent behavior that really convinced me. I mean psychology is a really soft science to begin with. Take the last study reported about here - having less of a reaction to a violent image? That lacks any kind of context to suggest that it correlates to a desensitization to violence. All it means is that they were desensitized towards violent imagery. Looking at a picture and watching a person being brutally beaten right before your eyes are two entirely different scenarios.

Secondly the most these studies show is that gaming can be linked to an increase in aggressive behavior in the short term. Which makes sense - especially if you're playing with/against other people - you tend to get psyched up, but I don't imagine that's too different than aggressive behavior being increased through competition in general.

Finally if we're are all desensitized and more prone to violence - why aren't we seeing it reflected in society? The rate of violent crime is going down after all, as gaming becomes more popular. I'm not suggesting that the two are necessarily related - but if gaming really made people more violent you'd expect we'd see some sort of evidence of that in the general gaming population - but we really haven't. The gamer stereo-type is a wimpy-nerd, not a violent psychopath.

I get what the comic is saying, but even when I make myself look beyond my own confirmation biases its hard to take these studies too seriously. The human psyche is way too complex for me to believe that any one simple factor such as playing video games has a major affect on it.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

While somewhat true, I would argue that taking out the "exacerbated, pre-existing" requirement out of the speech in the first square, and just putting in "is a root cause of" tends to be more in line with what most anti-gaming or overtly-critical-of-gaming studies put out overall. There is a very notable difference between "games cause this condition", and "games may help exacerbate a pre-existing condition".

 

[drisky]

While somewhat true, I would argue that taking out the "exacerbated, pre-existing" requirement out of the speech in the first square, and just putting in "is a root cause of" tends to be more in line with what most anti-gaming or overtly-critical-of-gaming studies put out overall. There is a very notable difference between "games cause this condition", and "games may help exacerbate a pre-existing condition".

Yeah but many gamers will just hear "gaming causes violence" (even though its probably talking abut aggressive behavior) and just respond with "I've been playing M games since I was 5 and I haven't murdered any one, stupid". They wont listen to qualifiers like pre existing aggression becomes more apparent, or those with little aggression avoid the violent content all together.

 

[Cousin_IT]

But every scientific study that portrays excessive gaming with negative connotations is a direct attack on me & my very measure of existence. I have no choice but to violently resist, lest I find myself in an existential crisis as my identity is stripped of value.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

The laser vision guy seems legit. <3

I have to disagree with the video games = violence thing though. My rather aggresive nightmare of a father was quiet as a mouse after playing on Doom 2 with invulnerbility and the chain saw. It was like a stress reliever almost.

 

[franksands]

@MelasZepheos:

I logged in just to say that, although I would've never been so eloquent. Congratulations.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Pay attention, people. This is actually a pretty big problem around here.

Too much gaming is actually a bad thing. As is too much...well, ANYTHING. Still, the point stands.

 

[Madara XIII]

Too true. Gamers are so quick to try to discredit or dismiss studies that come out in some way against their hobby, but herald pro-game studies as the truth. You can't have it both ways, guys.

Hehehe glad I'm not the only one who saw the double standard of it all.


You can't have your cake and eat it too.....mainly because it's a L-*COUGH* GRMMPH

*Gets grabbed by the over-used-joke police and is whisked away in a van*

 

[Plurralbles]

neither have been peer reviewed.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

Hate to say it but thats about the truth

 

[LetalisK]

While somewhat true, I would argue that taking out the "exacerbated, pre-existing" requirement out of the speech in the first square, and just putting in "is a root cause of" tends to be more in line with what most anti-gaming or overtly-critical-of-gaming studies put out overall. There is a very notable difference between "games cause this condition", and "games may help exacerbate a pre-existing condition".

How I see it is something like "games may help exacerbate a pre-existing condition" gets picked up by media sources and turned into a sensationalist news story("new study claims games cause violence!") both because there is profit involved and it seems so many people do not know the difference between correlation/causation and have no concept of degrees of magnitude. Gamers rage against the implication that is being made and it sets the stage for any study that talks about a link between video gaming and aggression to be reflexively dog-piled on because of previous portrayals. This phenomenon happens with other things as well.

 

[PunkRex]

I wuv this comic.

ALL forms of media and art CAN have a bad effect on certain people but if you play Devil May Cry and decide to set fire to your family as to emulate one of the characters, chances are your not all there in the first place. At least thats what I think.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

*Shrug* true enough, but my personal experience with video games has made me less violent, and this is coming from the guy previously known as 'the local psycho'(just because I retaliated against bullies using my fists rather than my useless, useless words).

 

[MetalDooley]

Too true. Gamers are so quick to try to discredit or dismiss studies that come out in some way against their hobby, but herald pro-game studies as the truth. You can't have it both ways, guys.

True but it works the other way too.The anti-gaming brigade will jump on any negative study and herald it as proof that games are bad but are just as quick to dismiss any studies that show the positive effects gaming can have

 

[Alexnader]

Lol, basically

There's a happy medium, I just think neither scientific "side" of the arguement wants to look for it.

BTW: Most Stealth Bombers have at one point in their life played a video game with a joystick. Proof that video games can have a practical application ^^

Holy shit? Planes can play video games??? OH MY GOD WE'RE DOOMED, NO MR STEALTH BOMBER, DON'T TAKE MY GAMING RIG. NOT MY PCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC!!!!!!!!!! (gets blown up by stealthy missile launched by stealth bomber)

Apologies, it's 3AM where I am now. Anyway there will be good science and bad science, however what most people will believe is the science that reinforces the opinions or behaviour they already have, irrespective of the validity of the study's findings. This is true for almost all facets of humanity and is by no means limited to gaming. Hell even the scientific community has been known to quash studies that contradict common knowledge.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Too true. Gamers are so quick to try to discredit or dismiss studies that come out in some way against their hobby, but herald pro-game studies as the truth. You can't have it both ways, guys.

True but it works the other way too.The anti-gaming brigade will jump on any negative study and herald it as proof that games are bad but are just as quick to dismiss any studies that show the positive effects gaming can have

Simple solution. We act better than them. Take the high road.