Effects Of Video Games Research Articles

Gaining a competitive edge: Longitudinal associations between children’s competitive video game playing, conduct problems, peer relations, and prosocial behavior.

Playful competition is an important hallmark of healthy child development. Playful competition facilitates moral learning, rewards perspective-taking skills, and challenges children to healthily regulate unpleasant emotions such as frustration, anger, and jealousy. Despite this, research on the effects of competitive video gaming has focused on antisocial outcomes, such as declines in prosocial behavior. Moreover, methodological shortcomings such as experimental studies using designs with poor generalizability, and a lack of longitudinal studies, leave open the influence of competitive gaming on social development among preadolescent children. This longitudinal study therefore investigated the relation between competitive gaming and changes in children's social development across 3 measures: conduct problems, peer relations, and prosocial behavior. At 2 timepoints, 1 year apart, 184 Dutch children (8.31-12.68 years old) reported their gaming frequency and listed their favorite games to play, and their parents reported their children's psychosocial health. Children's nominations were coded as including or not including a competitive video game. Children who nominated a competitive game at the first time point were more likely to show a decrease in conduct problems and an improvement in peer relations. No interactions were observed between competitive gaming and gaming frequency. These results encourage future research to investigate the social benefits of playful competitive gaming among peers, and for future studies to take other variables such as violent content, cooperative play, and real world competitive play into account.

خلاصة تحليلية للآثار السلوكية والمعرفية لألعاب الفيديو التفاعلية على طلاب التعليم العام

الملخص: تم إجراء خلاصة تحليلية لتأثيرات ألعاب الفيديو التفاعلية (IVGs) على البنية السلوكية والمعرفية لدى طلاب التعليم العام فيما يتعلق بكيفية المعرفة، والمعرفة المباشرة، والمهارات التنظيمية لديهم، وذلك باستخدام المنهج الكيفي) النوعي (المستند على أساس نظري لتحديد موضوعات الاستكشاف في أطر منتظمة. وأظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن عددا كبيرا من المقالات تؤيد الموقف الذي يرى أن ألعاب الفيديو التعليمية (IVGs) تساعد الطلاب على تحسين أسس المعرفة الإجرائية، والمشروطة، والصريحة المباشرة، مع وجود عدد بسيط من البحوث التي تشير إلى غير ذلك. كما أدت مراجعة منهجية للأدبيات، وتحليل موضوعي للمحتوى، وتنظيم الموضوعات إلى استنتاج مفاده أن ألعاب الفيديو التفاعلية (IVGs) لها عدة آثار إيجابية وبعض الآثار السلبية. وتشمل الآثار الإيجابية: اكتساب مهارات التطوير المستمر لمهارات افتراضية، والتنظيم الذاتي، وأداء أفضل للمهام) اعتمادا على المعرفة التقريرية والإجرائية)، وارتفاع مستويات التركيز، وتحسين الاستدلال والقدرة على اتخاذ القرار، وزيادة الاستعداد الجسدي والقدرة التنافسية، بالإضافة إلى تغيرات إيجابية في الاتجاه والسلوك. وتقترح الدراسة أن استخدام استراتيجيات التدخل المناسبة يمكن أن تعزز المكاسب الإيجابية لألعاب الفيديو التفاعلية (IVGs). ومع ذلك، من المستحسن إجراء مزيد من البحوث لتحديد أفضل الاستراتيجيات لتحسين الآثار الإيجابية للألعاب والحد من آثارها السلبية بين طلاب التعليم العام. الكلمات الدلالية: خلاصة تحليلية، السلوك، المعرفة، ألعاب الفيديو التفاعلية

A longitudinal study of link between exposure to violent video games and aggression in Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of moral disengagement.

Although adolescents around the world play video games, little is known about their longitudinal effects on adolescents from Eastern countries. This large longitudinal violent video game study has 4 strengths. First, it is the first longitudinal study conducted with Chinese adolescents. Second, it examines moral disengagement as a possible mediating variable. Because violent video games reward immoral behaviors (e.g., stealing cars, killing characters), they might lead players to believe immoral behaviors are "no big deal." These moral disengagement beliefs might "bleed over" from the virtual world to the real world after the game is turned off, by increasing subsequent aggression. Third, it tests the hypothesis that violent video game effects are stronger for early adolescents than for late adolescents, and for males than for females. Fourth, it separates between-person effects from within-person effects. The theoretical foundation for the study is Social Cognitive Theory, which proposes that 3 interacting components determine what events result in observational learning: (a) context (i.e., violent video game exposure), (b) personal cognition (i.e., moral disengagement), and (c) behavioral outcome (i.e., aggression). Participants in this 3-wave (each wave was 6 months apart) longitudinal study were 1,340 Chinese adolescents (45.1% boys) 12- to 19-years-old (M = 14.86, SD = 1.50). Moral disengagement was a significant mediator of the longitudinal relationship between violent game exposure and aggression in the cross-lagged panel and between-person analyses, but not in the within-person analysis. As expected, effects were stronger for early adolescents than for late adolescents, especially between persons. However, gender did not moderate the effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of video game on socio- behavioral environment

Background: Nowadays the teens playing outdoor games are difficult to be seen and of course, they play all these games not in reality but in a screen using video games. The biggest revolution in electronic world has put our teens more addicted towards video games which not only affect their academic performance but also have impact on their behaviour and health. The objectives of the study were to assess the pattern of video game usage among the study population; to determine the influence of video game in behaviour of the study population.Methods: The study was conducted as a cross sectional study during January and February 2018, among medical students of tertiary care hospital, Chennai. The data was collected using preformed pretested questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.Results: Out of 211 study participants, majority 168 (80%) were males. Around, 97 (45.9%) participants, liked to play during night hours and most 114 (54.1%) of them preferred adventure and racing games. The change in behavioral patterns like, skipping sleep 20 (25.3%), using bad words 22 (27.8%), betting 40 (50.6%), risky stunts 38 (48.1%) were observed. Around half of the participants 97 (46%) were giving complaints of various health problems like finger pain, 72 (34.1%) wrist pain, 63 (29.8%) neck pain, and 54 (26%) eye pain due to usage of video games.Conclusions: The behavioral patterns explored in this study are alarming which suggest that this age group has to be sensitized on the self control to use the video games.

Body Involvement in Video Gaming as a Support for Physical and Cognitive Learning

Despite a steady increase in the social visibility of video games in all spheres of daily life, persistent preconceived ideas about video games reveal a tendency to focus on either their positive or negative values, especially concerning the place of the player’s body. First, this article questions the different degrees of bodily involvement in the practice of video games according to the different types of games and the mechanisms that allow the player to learn the games’ gesture patterns. Then, the objective is to study the effects of video gaming on the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of the player and to identify potential correlations between bodily involvement and health benefit. Indeed, bodily involvement translates into physical engagement, and sometimes motor expertise as required by the game, but also into the mobilization of the player’s cognitive and interactive resources with the video game devices.

Effect of virtual reality video games on gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy

Objective To explore the effect of virtual reality video games on gross motor skills of children with cerebral palsy. Methods The 56 patients with cerebral palsy treated in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from April 2015 to April 2017 were selected as the subjects.The age of the patients was (5.4±1.2) years old (5-7 years old). According to the results of Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) assessment, all patients belonged to level Ⅰ-Ⅱ.All patients were randomly divided-into 2 groups: video-game group and conventional exercise group for 6 weeks of functional exercise.The evaluation criteria included the average exercise time, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and general motion function challenge module (GMFMS-CM) measurement and evaluation. Results The average exercise time of video games in video game group was (44.2 ± 6.1) minutes.The encouragement from the therapists in the intervention process was very important.The technical problems also had a relatively high proportion, and the technical guidance and training should be emphasized at the beginning of the study.The ave-rage score of the Likert scale showed that the practice program was suitable for the patients; GMFMS-CM in video-game group was significantly higher [mean difference was 4.8, the quartile (IQP) was 4.68, Z=-2.025, P=0.035], while conventional exercise group showed an increasing trend which was not significantly different; 6MWT showed a significant increase in the mean level of video-game group (mean difference was 69.1 m, IQR was 40.2 m, Z=-2.108, P=0.045), conventional exercise group was significantly lower than the average level of subjects in video-game group and there was no significant change in the study period. Conclusion For children with cerebral palsy, routine functional rehabilitation exercise plus family-style virtual reality video game practice, on the one hand to improve patient compliance with the treatment, on the other hand can significantly improve their physical movement function, which is conducive for the patients′ quality of life and self-care ability. Key words: Virtual reality; Video game; Cerebral palsy; Motor function

Improving Vocabulary Skills Using Video Games

As the world is embracing the 21st century, a new tool that could facilitate English as Second Language (ESL) classroom is imperative. In this case, video games seem to offer a promising positive impact toward ESL classroom. Video games is interactive, which at the same time is suitable for 21st century learner who are craving for technologies. Thus, this study was conducted. Data collection was done in a primary school in South of Malaysia which two class being sampled. The two classrooms were separated into control group and experimental group. Before any statistical test being conducted, the data was tested for its normality. For this research, the researchers had performed Shapiro-Wilk test. Based on the test, the data was found as normally distributed. To study the effectiveness of video games in facilitating ESL classroom, a Paired Sample T-Test was conducted to measure the different between the pretest and posttest score. A significant different was visible from the test. Further statistical test shows that experimental group perform better that their counterpart in control group.

An Investigation of the Effect of Preschool Children's Computer Game Playing on Their Development and Behavior through the Lens of Turkish Mothers

The computers used in the field of education as in many other fields are used by children mostly for playing games. The present study has aimed at identifying the general attitude mothers of preschoolers hold regarding the effect of computer game playing on children's development and behaviour. The participants were volunteer mothers (n=749) whose children attend preschool in Istanbul. Data was collected via a survey developed by the researchers to assess the general attitude mothers hold regarding the effect of computer game playing on children's development and behaviour. The findings show that among the participant mothers, 93% stated that computer games cause dependency, 92.6% stated that this is reflected in the behaviour of children, 83.5% stated that children's behaviour is affected negatively, 87.9% stated that games lead children to mimic in real life what they are exposed to in the games. 11.7% of the mothers stated that games do not interfere with family gatherings, while 67.8% stated that they do not serve to help the discharge of aggressive impulses. Still 57% pointed out that games support the development of hand-eye coordination, and 71% pointed out that they foster the development of better and more frequent technology use.

Changes in Cognitive Functions Following Violent and Football Video Games in Young Male Volunteers by Studying Brain Waves.

Introduction:This research investigated the effects of violent and football video games on cognitive functions, cortisol levels, and brain waves.Methods:A total of 64 participants competed in a single-elimination tournament. Saliva samples of all players were obtained before and after the games for the assessment of cortisol levels. The cognitive performances of the players were also assessed by paced auditory serial addition test. Moreover, the electroencephalogram recording was conducted during the games.Results:The results showed that salivary cortisol levels significantly decreased after playing both games. Also, playing the football game increased reaction time, whereas decreased sustained attention and mental fatigue.Conclusion:Conversely, following playing a violent game, the reaction time decreased, and sustained attention and mental fatigue increased. Furthermore, the results of the EEG recording revealed that playing a violent game engaged more brain regions than the football game. In conclusion, playing violent game more effectively improved cognitive performances in the players than the football game.

Effects of Immersive, Sexually Objectifying, and Violent Video Games on Hostile Sexism in Males

Research suggests that media images depicting aggression against sexually objectified women may promote hostile sexism in men. We empirically tested if such effects might occur when men commit simulated acts of aggression against sexualized female opponents in video games, and if such effects might be heightened by psychological immersion (i.e,. the sensation of “presence” while gaming). In two studies, male participants played a first-person-shooter game, with the sex and sexualization of opponents experimentally manipulated. Results indicated that game play increased hostile sexism, to the extent that players reported feeling present in the virtual environment and provided that opponents were depicted as sexualized females, not males or nonsexualized females. No effects on benevolent sexism were observed. These results suggest that the increasingly immersive nature of modern video games might amplify their influence on players, including effects that promote hostility and aggression towards women.

Metaanalysis of the relationship between violent video game play and physical aggression over time

To clarify and quantify the influence of video game violence (VGV) on aggressive behavior, we conducted a metaanalysis of all prospective studies to date that assessed the relation between exposure to VGV and subsequent overt physical aggression. The search strategy identified 24 studies with over 17,000 participants and time lags ranging from 3 months to 4 years. The samples comprised various nationalities and ethnicities with mean ages from 9 to 19 years. For each study we obtained the standardized regression coefficient for the prospective effect of VGV on subsequent aggression, controlling for baseline aggression. VGV was related to aggression using both fixed [β = 0.113, 95% CI = (0.098, 0.128)] and random effects models [β = 0.106 (0.078, 0.134)]. When all available covariates were included, the size of the effect remained significant for both models [β = 0.080 (0.065, 0.094) and β = 0.078 (0.053, 0.102), respectively]. No evidence of publication bias was found. Ethnicity was a statistically significant moderator for the fixed-effects models (P ≤ 0.011) but not for the random-effects models. Stratified analyses indicated the effect was largest among Whites, intermediate among Asians, and nonsignificant among Hispanics. Discussion focuses on the implications of such findings for current debates regarding the effects of violent video games on physical aggression.

The Impact of Heavy (Excessive) Video Gaming Students on Peers and Teachers in the School Environment: A Qualitative Study

Video gaming has now become very popular among children and adolescents. Because of the increasing use of videogames, the debate concerning the effects of video games has been ongoing, particularly in terms of gamers’ social lives. This study explores the impact of heavy gaming students on their peers and teachers in the school environment. For this purpose, focus-group and face-to-face interviews have been carried out using semi-structured interview forms developed by the research team. The data have been collected from 21 participants comprised of three heavy gaming students, 16 peers, and two teachers. The findings indicate heavy gamers to display problematic behaviors including communication and behavioral problems within the school environment. Results also show heavy gaming students to prefer staying at home and playing videogames rather than attending school activities. Heavy gamers mostly prefer spending time with other heavy gamers or with male peers because they have mutual topics they can talk about (video games, their game talents, soccer, outdoor games etc.), which they are unable to with girls. According to the teachers, heavy gamers have low-school performance. However, the English teacher emphasized the positive effects of video gaming on students' English vocabulary.

Effect of video game playing and a glucose preload on subjective appetite, subjective emotions, and food intake in overweight and obese boys.

Video game playing (VGP) is associated with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). VGP and caloric preloads in the pre-meal environment influence short-term food intake (FI) in healthy-weight children. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of pre-meal VGP and a glucose preload on subjective emotions, subjective appetite, and FI in boys with OW/OB. On 4 separate mornings, boys with OW/OB (n = 22; mean ± SD: age = 11.9 ± 1.6 years; body mass index percentile = 94.3 ± 3.9) participated in 4 test conditions. Two hours after a standardized breakfast, boys consumed equally sweetened preloads (250 mL) of sucralose (0 kcal) or glucose (200 kcal), with or without 30 min of subsequent VGP. Immediately after each test condition, FI was evaluated during an ad libitum pizza meal. Subjective appetite was measured at 0 (baseline), 15, and 30 min. Subjective emotions (aggression, anger, excitement, disappointment, happiness, upset, and frustration) were measured at 0 and 30 min. VGP did not affect FI, but the glucose preload decreased FI compared with the sucralose control (Δ = -103 ± 48 kcal, p < 0.01). However, cumulative FI (preload kcal + meal kcal) was 9% higher after the glucose preload (p < 0.01). Subjective appetite increased with time (p < 0.05) but was not influenced by preload or VGP. Frustration was the only subjective emotion that increased following VGP (p < 0.01). A glucose preload, but not VGP, suppressed FI in boys with OW/OB, suggesting a primary role of physiological factors in short-term FI regulation.

Reducing Outgroup Bias through Intergroup Contact with Non-Playable Video Game Characters in VR

Abstract Video games are one of the most popular media forms in today's society, but are often criticized for various reasons. For instance, mainstream video games do not incorporate enough racially diverse game characters or are often connected to adolescents’ levels of aggression and have thus been the focus of many debates. While the negative consequences of video games have been analyzed by many academic studies, research on the prosocial effects of video games is scarce. To address this research gap and support the ongoing call for more diverse video game characters, this study used a 3 × 1 between-subjects design (N = 86) to test the impact of racially diverse non-playable characters (NPCs). The parasocial contact hypothesis was used as the theoretical foundation, incorporating virtual reality technology as an intensifier of effects. The results showed that helping a Black NPC did not reduce implicit bias, but reduced explicit bias towards Black people. This improvement was stronger when the video game was played using virtual reality technology than when using a traditional two-dimensional gaming device.

Evaluación de un videojuego educativo de contenido histórico. La opinión de los estudiantes

Although the research about educational video games is abundant, the examples are scarce if the attention is focused on those studies that assess the effects of educational video games in the teaching-learning process. It is also difficult to find studies that deals with the opinion of the own students/gamers about the influence of a video game in their learning. But students are the key in the teaching and learning process and without them, we lost a key aspect in the assessment of such recource, their own perception. This paper presents the results of an evaluative research about a VR game. This game is based on a historical topic and setting, and it is played with Oculus Rift. To assess the perception of the students about this specific game it was designed ad hoc an instrument with 28 items about its content and pedagogical value. The answers of the 34 Secondary Students (average age 15.4 years) that participate in this study were analysed with a mixed methodology. The results show a positive reception and perception of the students about the use of VR games in the classroom, not only because of the historical contents of the plot and setting but also because of the motivation they provide.

Interactive Video Gaming Improves Functional Balance in Poststroke Individuals: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of interactive video games on functional balance and mobility in poststroke individuals. The Health Science databases accessed included Medline via PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, and PEDro. The inclusion criteria were as follows: clinical studies evaluating the use of interactive video games as a treatment to improve functional balance and mobility in individuals poststroke and studies published in the Brazilian Portuguese, English, or Spanish language between 2005 and April 2016. PEDro Scale was used to analyze the methodological quality of the studies. The Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) data were evaluated using a meta-analysis, the publication bias was assessed by funnel plots, and the heterogeneity of the studies by I 2 statistic. Eleven studies were included in the final analysis. Functional balance improved in individuals treated using interactive video games (mean difference = 2.24, 95% confidence interval [0.45, 4.04], p = .01), but no improvement was observed in mobility as measured by TUGT. The studies presented low heterogeneity (24%). The mean score on the PEDro Scale was 6.2 ± 1.9. Interactive video games were effective in improving functional balance but did not influence the mobility of individuals poststroke.

Potential Adverse Effects of Violent Video Gaming: Interpersonal- Affective Traits Are Rather Impaired Than Disinhibition in Young Adults.

The increasing trend of mass shootings, which were associated with excessive use of violent video games, fueled the debate of possible effects violent video games may have on adolescents and young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible link between violent video gaming effects and the disposition of adverse behavior traits such as interpersonal-affective deficits and disinhibition. Data of 167 young adults, collected by an online questionnaire battery, were analyzed for lifetime video game exposure differences (i.e., non-gamers, non-violent video gamers, stopped violent video game users, and ongoing violent video game users) as well as for recent exposure effects on adverse behavior traits (Levenson’s Psychopathy Scale), while controlling for other potentially confounding lifestyle factors. While interpersonal-affective deficits were significantly higher in participants with ongoing violent video game exposure compared to non-gamers and non-violent video gamers, disinhibition was significantly higher in both – stopped and ongoing – violent video game exposure groups compared to non-gamers. Recent violent video game exposure was a stronger predictor for interpersonal-affective deficits, but was also significant for disinhibition. Considering that we observed small to medium effects in a sample of young adults with little to moderate use of violent video games highlights the importance of further investigating the potential adverse effects of violent video games on quality of social relationships.

Effect of an Active Video Gaming Classroom Curriculum on Health-Related Fitness, School Day Step Counts, and Motivation in Sixth Graders.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of an active video gaming (AVG) classroom curriculum on health-related fitness, school day steps, and motivation in sixth graders. A convenience sample of 65 sixth graders were recruited from 2 classrooms from a school located in the Western United States. One classroom served as the comparison group (n = 32) that participated in active free play, and one classroom served as the intervention group (n = 33) that participated in an AVG curriculum for 30minutes per day, 3 days per week, for 18 weeks. Cardiorespiratory endurance was assessed using Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run laps. School day steps were recorded, and motivational variables were collected using questionnaires. Measures were collected at baseline and an 18-week posttest time point. There was a significant group × time interaction for Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run laps (b = 20.7 laps; 95% confidence interval, 14.6 to 26.8; P < .001). No statistically significant interactions were found for step counts or any of the motivational variables. An 18-week AVG classroom curriculum improved cardiorespiratory endurance relative to the comparison group in sixth graders. This study supports the use of low-cost AVG curricula to improve the health-related fitness of youth.

Families that play together stay together: Investigating family bonding through video games

Video games have been a major form of people’s entertainment, and they have entered people’s family life. However, what we know about the effects of video games on family relationships is still rare. This study investigated the effects of video game co-playing among family members on family satisfaction and family closeness. In total, 361 parents recruited from Amazon Turk completed online questionnaires. The results showed that the more frequently family members play video games together, the better family satisfaction and family closeness they have. Families with poor family communication benefit more from co-playing than those with effective family communication. Family satisfaction mediated the relationship between video game co-playing and family closeness. Game features that facilitate family relationships were discovered through open-ended questions. Participants typically enjoyed playing video games with family members, and social benefits are the most salient in family settings.

The Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Gaming on Cognitive Performance.

The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of video gaming, aerobic exercise (biking), and the combination of these two activities on the domains of cognitive performance: selective attention, processing speed, and executive functioning. The study was a randomized clinical trial with 40 subjects (mean age 23.7 ± 1.8 years) randomized to one of four thirty-minute conditions: video gaming, biking, simultaneous gaming and biking, and a control condition. Cognitive performance was measured pre and post condition using the Stroop test and Trails B test. A mixed design was utilized. While video gaming, biking, simultaneous gaming and biking conditions improved selective attention and processing speed (p < 0.05), only the bike condition improved the highest order of cognitive performance, executive function (p < 0.01). There were no changes in cognitive performance for the control condition. Previous studies have shown that if tasks approach the limits of attentional capacity there is an increase in the overall chance for errors, known as the dual-task deficit. Simultaneous biking and gaming may have surpassed attentional capacity limits, ultimately increasing errors during the executive function tests of our cognitive performance battery. The results suggest that the fatiguing effects of a combined physically and mentally challenging task that extends after the exercise cessation may overcome the eventual beneficial cognitive effects derived from the physical exercise.