Research Finds Violent Games Relieve Stress and Depression

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
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Research Finds Violent Games Relieve Stress and Depression


Playing as Kratos, may help you stop turning into Kratos, says a study from the Texas A&M International University.

If certain well-meaning, but misinformed, people are to be believed, playing videogames can make you aggressive and possibly even violent. But a new study, conducted by Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson of Texas A&M International University, suggests that in reality the opposite is true, and that playing a game, especially a violent one, can actually help relieve stress and make people less violent.

The study took a group of 103 young adults and gave them a frustrating task to perform. Each participant then played either a non-violent game, a violent game with a good versus evil theme, a violent game where you play as a villain, or no game at all. The results of the tests showed that those who had played the violent games were much better at managing stress than those who had not.

"It probably won't come as a surprise to gamers that playing games may reduce stress, although others have been skeptical of this idea," Ferguson said. "This is the first study that explores this idea, however. It does seem that playing violent games may help reduce stress and make people less depressed and hostile."

Ferguson said while these results couldn't be considered conclusive and that more research was necessary, he believed that violent videogames could be used to help those with emotional issues better handle their frustrations, without escalating to actual violence. While this study isn't going to end the debate over violent media, it is encouraging to have another piece of evidence to refer to when the subject inevitably comes round again.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=255708]









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Kedgeree

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Jan 31, 2010
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Postal 2. The most perfect example of a violent, stress-relieving video game. I can just imagine it now... :)
 

Antari

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Nov 4, 2009
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This is why I do atleast one daily mission in Hitman Blood Money. Its for public safety!
 

uppitycracker

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Oct 9, 2008
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i love how the studies are so conflicting. i bet someday, we'll have a study that confirms playing violent video games curb global warming, or that 9/10 people who play violent video games will get married someday.



however, i totally agree with this one. nothing is better during a bad breakup than jumping in a video game and killing some hookers, or going the evil route in some RPG and mercilessly annihilating any innocent you see.
 
Aug 25, 2009
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Yeah, but will this stop people from claiming that clearly this tudy is just wrong, whereas their study carried out by the Women's Christian Institute Against Violent Gaming is completely unbiased and utterly correct?

Of course not, and in about twenty years people will scoff at how easily we condemned video-games with whatever new horrorific new technology is looming on the horison, just as happened with rock and roll, television, computers and now gaming.

I saw it whenever I get the chance because it amuses me, but this argument has been repeated without the faintest hint of irony since at least the time of the Romantic poets in 1789. Since we're all still here, I would say new things don't do us much harm in the long term, and may even help our society grow.

Partly by instigating revolution against the ridiculous knee-jerk conservative traditionalists who think all young people should be kept in containment bubbles until ready for baptism, marriage and family.
 

Kiefer13

Wizzard
Jul 31, 2008
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I've certainly always found violent games to be good for relieving stress. Nice to see science on our side for once, even if it isn't a particularly conclusive study.
 

Zerbye

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Aug 1, 2008
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Steve5513 said:
Sample of people was far too small but I expect the same results if they ever get round to doing it with more people.
How about Japan? Crime statistics there are pretty low even while it is home to extremely violent media. Yeah, I know its not nearly as scientific an observation as the paper in question, but still worth thinking about.
 

Mr. Grey

I changed my face, ya like it?
Aug 31, 2009
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States the obvious, etc... soon to be given a poorly done study as a rebuttal then that too will be shot down in flames. Thus is the cycle of such things.

Kedgeree said:
Postal 2. The most perfect example of a violent, stress-relieving video game. I can just imagine it now... :)
Imagine it? I'm playing it.

What I'm waiting for is more news on Postal 3.
 

Danpascooch

Zombie Specialist
Apr 16, 2009
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RangerSERE said:
You know what does a better job of that all around? Exercise.
Go post that on the Gold Gym forum, this is the Escapist, it's about gaming.


It's about time someone did this study, I'm sick of games being blamed for all the worlds woes.
 

Rarhnor

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Jun 2, 2010
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I don't believe it and I don't deny it.

Your policy on violence is the factor here, not if you play videogames.
 

QueenWren

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Apr 7, 2010
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Why do they think it will be a surprise to gamers? Aren't we in the best position to know? I certainly enjoyed Tomb Raider 3 after stress at high school (I just kept replaying the first level and shooting all the monkeys)
 

FinalHeart95

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Jun 29, 2009
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I agree with it, but the problem with these studies is that the games are not the only variable. The people themselves are variables as well. How do you know some of them weren't just better at managing stress beforehand? Maybe if the pool of people was larger.

To be completely honest, none of these video game studies have actually been very good from a scientific standpoint.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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New: Research Shows that X Games make people Y.

Gamers ask why the Scientists aren't doing something useful.

I mean, let's just say that it's PROVEN that playing Game X for Y hours a day gives you +10 to Life Experience, -10 to Lung Capacity and +5 to Nosepicking....

So what? The only use for this is that we can say this research says it's good. And then someone else says "Ah well, THIS research says the opposite".

Please Mr. Scientists. Do something useful. Even Thatcher helped to make Soft Scoop Icecream.
 

TheYellowCellPhone

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Sep 26, 2009
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I find this to be true. After having an angering and stressful day, running over a few random civilians in GTA usually cools me down.