"High compared to the low experience violent games appears to be linked to different physiological, emotional and sleep related processes [after] exposure to violent video games," concludes the paper by Malena Ivarsson of the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University and colleagues.
Exposure affects frequency cardiac responses of teens to violent gamesThe experimental study included two groups of boys, aged between 13 and 15, with a different exposure to violent video games. Fifteen boys were highly exposed to violent games, playing at least three hours per day. Fifteen others had low exposure, not more than one hour per day.
The researchers monitored the reactions of boys to play two different video games: a violent game ("Manhunt") and a set of non-violent cartoon ("Animaniacs"). The boys have played the games at home, on two different evenings, each two hours. Physiological, emotional and reactions of sleep for two games were compared with high boys from low exposure.
Although there was little difference in the reactions during the time passed to play games, significant differences appeared later. Then that sleep later that night, the boys in the low exposure group had more rapid heart rate after playing the violent game, compared to the night after playing the violent game. On the other hand, for the boys in the exposed group, heart rate was lower in the night after playing the violent game.
There were also significant differences in the variability of heart rate (HRV), which measures changes in heartbeat to heartbeat heart rate. HRV differences blunting models suggested reactions from the sympathetic nervous system among males in the exposed group.
Emotional and sleep also affected responsesSleep questionnaire, boys exposed to the weak also reported low-quality sleep at night after playing the violent game, compared to the non-violent game. Males exposed to high school, it there was no difference in the quality of sleep after playing two games. After playing the violent game, the boys exposed to the low reported an increase in feelings of sadness.
The two groups had higher levels of anxiety and stress after playing the violent game. "The violent game appears to have generated more stress at the time of sunset in both groups and it also seems as if in general caused violent game one sort of exhaustion," write Ivarsson and his colleagues. "However, the exhaustion seemed to be one that promotes normally good sleep, but rather as a factor of stress which can affect the quality of sleep, especially for weak players exposed. ''
Previous studies have shown that playing violent video games can cause anger and aggressive, as well as sleep behaviour. Heart rate and HRV are useful indicators of physical reactions to stress and emotions through the nervous system friendly responses. "The two types of Psychophysiological outcomes related to violence probably reflect sympathetic activation increased," according to the authors.
Differences between groups may represent an effect desensitizing of frequent exposure to violent video games, researchers speculate even though it is also possible that males with certain traits can be attracted to violent games. Ivarsson and his co-authors note that they were hard to find and recruit boys with high exposure to violent games to participate in the study.
The study adds to earlier results that playing violent video games can affect the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and physiological reactions, which 'continue simultaneously' emotional and sleeping responses. It adds new information that those answers are different for appear to differ for youth with high versus low exposure to these games. The authors call for further study 'carving' mechanisms for the answers and see if they are related to changes in behaviour related to violent games.
Source-Eurekalert
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