Combat Games Trigger "Fight Or Flight" Insticts. Media Shocked.
The study itself seems like it was performed in a lab built upon the slopes of Mount Obvious. The SPIN on it by the media is... predictable but annoying.

"Violent Video Game Effects Linger In Brain"

So these videogames trigger the "fight or flight" response. Ummmm.... well, mission accomplished, pat the designers on the back, as that was the intention. Just as thrill rides at the amusement park are designed to trigger these instinctive reactions. The most interesting and noteworthy part of the study quoted in the article is that other high-excitement games (like racing games) don't trigger the same emotional response. That's not exactly surprising, but I tend to think that adrenaline is adrenaline.

But of course, the spin hints that this primitive reflex which enabled our ancestors to survive being eaten by tigers is turning teenagers into violent, angry machines. I'm exaggerating the title and the opening sentence, but that's definitely where it's going. I mean, it "lingers in the brain," and increases "activity in areas of the brain linked to emotional arousal and decreased responses in regions that govern self-control."

Somehow this reminds me of the science fair project about the Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide, which was actually a little psychology experiment about how gullible people are. Forty-three out of fifty people surveyed favored banning water after hearing the shocking facts!

In other political news, Illinois has failed in its appeal of its anti-videogame law. The courts have once again demonstrated that just because the medium is new and popular with the younger generation doesn't make it an exception to Constitutional law. But the state of Illinois apparently doesn't have much respect for the court anyway, as they still haven't paid up the over half-million dollars they were ordered to pay BY said court to cover legal fees for the. According to this article, they haven't provided an official reason, but some of the excuses sound a little bit like, "Oh, I left my wallet in my other pants." (Hat tip to GamePolitics.com for that one)


(Vaguely) related junk
* Illinois Video Game Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
* Why Are There So Many Violent Videogames?
* Congressman Matheson Defends Anti-Videogame Bill

Labels: Politics

- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 8:00 PM (Permalink)