New Swedish research show physiological stress response to playing video games

Violent video games affect the body physically in a way that games without violence do not, new research based on two studies show which is presented at the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University.

Playing violent games increases stress, which can be measured in the heart function and secretion of the stress hormone Cortisol. The first study examined how two groups of young boys react when they played two different games. They used the game Manhunt for the violent game and Animaniacs for the non-violent game. They played in their own home environment and the group consisted of 19 boys ages 12-15.

Those who had little experience of violent games had a stronger activation of the autonomic nervous system and stress symptoms than the group with experienced players.

Malena Ivarsson’s own research shows that violent video games can cause a bodily reaction, but gives no answer to the question if violent games also contribute to more violence. And maybe we’ll never get a clear answer. To determine the causal relationships underlying a particular assault is nearly impossible, even if the offender would play violent games ten hours a day, says Malena Ivarsson.

Malena Ivarsson refers to several research studies that have shown that the emphatic ability of those who play a lot of violent games decreases.

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