Call it the "Pink Floyd Effect."
A just-released research report claims that playing violent video games makes players "comfortably numb" to the pain and suffering of others.
The study, conducted by University of Michigan professor Brad Bushman and Iowa State University professor Craig Anderson, appears in the March 2009 issue of Psychological Science.
Both Bushman and Anderson have previously published research with negative findings about violent games. A press release describes the research methodology employed in the new report:
320 college students played either a violent or a nonviolent video game for approximately 20 minutes. A few minutes later, they overheard a staged fight that ended with the "victim" sustaining a sprained ankle and groaning in pain.
People who had played a violent game took significantly longer to help the victim than those who played a nonviolent game---73 seconds compared to 16 seconds. People who had played a violent game were also less likely to notice and report the fight. And if they did report it, they judged it to be less serious than did those who had played a nonviolent game.
In the second study, the participants were 162 adult moviegoers. The researchers staged a minor emergency outside the theater... The researchers timed how long it took moviegoers to [help]... Participants who had just watched a violent movie took over 26 percent longer to help than either people going into the theater or people who had just watched a nonviolent movie.
Prof. Bushman (left) commented:
These studies clearly show that violent media exposure can reduce helping behavior. People exposed to media violence are less helpful to others in need because they are 'comfortably numb' to the pain and suffering of others, to borrow the title of a Pink Floyd song.
Comments
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
It's called the bystander effect, also diffusion of responsibility. Kitty Genovese is the famous case where a woman was assaulted and murdered, screaming for help, while over 20 people heard her and did nothing.
It's fascinating stuff.
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
You mean the effect where it's best to have two or three people around as opposed to one person or a large crowd, because one person would be scared of what might happen to them and the large group would think "someone else will call for help"?
Myself, I take a recon first, ass-kicking second approach.
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Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
What games were used during this? Because if I was playing M&M Kart Racing vs Mass Effect, I would totally be like "We gotta help that guy!" if I was playing M&M, but for Mass Effect I would most likely take longer to get up and help the person because it is inherently a more interesting game.
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
I hereby present you, sir, with The Internet. Congratulations.
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
What did they define violent as?
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
For study 1, that was Carmageddon, Duke Nukem, Mortal Kombat, Future Cop. They're old, but violent nevertheless.
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Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to ...
Needs some research into the amount of time this effect is for, really, to determine whether this is some sort of mental conditioning or merely a side effect of adrenaline rushes.
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to ...
True this does only show the short term effects, I would also like more details on the study such as how did they choose who played which game.
I would also have to question the acting ability... and whether the actors knew which game was just played...
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to ...
"...how did they choose who played which game."
Random draw.
"I would also have to question the acting ability..."
Especially with the crap script. The study only says the actors were "experienced."
"and whether the actors knew which game was just played..."
The dialog was prerecorded. Participants were listening to that recording. The experimenter, standing outside the room, threw a chair and kicked the door twice.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to ...
The script may seem crappy, but they did make the effort to make script believable and tested out before doing the experiment. (see last paragraph in the study 1's procedure section).
It was pre-recorded because they wanted to have a standardized event so that all participants would experience the same thing (interpretation on the part of the participant is another thing, but it's a good thing as it helps determine whether violent media content has an influence in the participant).
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Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to ...
"The script may seem crappy, but they did make the effort to make script believable and tested out before doing the experiment."
Yeah, I saw that and noted it in another post.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to ...
Gamers are used to seeing crappy scripts play out in cutscenes. That's my take on it ;-)
GameSnooper
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
So how long does that effect last? Any long-term consequences?
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
Yeah, i would also like to know the same statistics for someone who has been abused, someone who has been in the army, and other violence exposure.
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Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
Wow they were slow to pick someone up after a fight. Amazing but one question. WHO THE HELL CARES! When I see a fight if the loser is injured I stay back a bit and make sure the fight is over before I step in and as for reporting it if it was just a fist fight and no one is injured more seriously than bruises a sprain or a bloody nose i see it as just another minor fight and do not see any reason it should be reported.
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
Now that I am past my kneejerk reaction to this and its implications on videogames allow me to say that this study was pointless and quite frankly a waste of time. What they said has already been said AND printed in Psychology textbooks, only phrased differently. People who have been exposed to a consistant amount of a particular mood, idea, or whatever are likely to retain the train of thought pertaining to whatever it was for some time after. As a result your perceptions, mood, etc. are tinted to run with the material. If you watched a violent gorefest like Saw(and liked it) then you are likely to be in a more violent mood. If you just saw a martial arts movie, you are more apt to be in a combative type of mood. If you just saw a heart felt, soul jaring, tear-jerker, then you are more likely to be more emotional. This goes for, not only all forms of media, but life as a whole really. This is Psych 101 material and they are going on as if it is something new.
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Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
"just a fist fight"
You can easily kill somebody with one hit of the knuckle you know ^_^
And yes, I think I'm chronically and comfortably numb 24/7 too.
Re: Study: Violent Games Make Players "Comfortably Numb" to
Well, you are an evil video game player.
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