Lack of Evidence That Neural Empathic Responses Are Blunted in Excessive Users of Violent Video Games: An fMRI Study.

Gregor R Szycik,Thomas F Münte,Bahram Mohammadi,Bert T Te Wildt

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00174

Abstract

The use of violent video games has been often linked to increase of aggressive behavior. According to the General Aggression Model, one of the central mechanisms for this aggressiveness inducing impact is an emotional desensitization process resulting from long lasting repeated violent game playing. This desensitization should evidence itself in a lack of empathy. Recent research has focused primarily on acute, short term impact of violent media use but only little is known about long term effects. In this study 15 excessive users of violent games and control subjects matched for age and education viewed pictures depicting emotional and neutral situations with and without social interaction while fMRI activations were obtained. While the typical pattern of activations for empathy and theory of mind networks was seen, both groups showed no differences in brain responses. We interpret our results as evidence against the desensitization hypothesis and suggest that the impact of violent media on emotional processing may be rather acute and short-lived.

Highlights

The possible influence of violent video games (VVG) on human aggressive behaviour is hotly debated
According to research done in the context of the General Aggression Model (GAM) a direct and causal relationship between the use of VVG and aggressiveness (Anderson and Bushman, 2002) is postulated: aggressive or impulsive behavior is a short term result of both personal and situational variables like exposure to VVG
As Montag et al (2012) and Szycik et al (2016) the current study focused on the long-term desensitization effects of VVG use but this time with an emphasis on empathy

Summary

Introduction

The possible influence of violent video games (VVG) on human aggressive behaviour is hotly debated. Long-term exposure to VVG on aggressive behavior according to the GAM leads to an increase in aggressive personality traits by learning, rehearsal and reinforcement of aggressionrelated knowledge structures. The alternative Catalyst Model postulates only little or no effects of VVG use on human aggressive behavior (Ferguson et al, 2008). Following this model, aggressive behavior results primarily from biological factors and VVG only shape the style of aggressive expression. Aggressive behavior results primarily from biological factors and VVG only shape the style of aggressive expression This view criticizes the GAM because of the discrepancy between its predictions and the recent violence

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Conclusion