Another Aggression Study...

I don't know about you, but GP is getting desensitized - to game research stories. One says there's definitely a link between games and violence. The next day there's a story finding no link. Not knowing who to believe, sometimes I just block it all out and play more F.E.A.R., or my latest obsession, Battleground Europe: World War II Online.

What's bringing on this little rant? Another study, of course. The Times Online details new research conducted at the University of Missouri-Columbia which appears to demonstrate a causal link between computer games and violence.

Researchers found that players of violent games had a diminished emotional brain response to images of real-life violence. However, the gamers had normal responses to other disturbing images, including dead animals and sick children.

Speaking of the gamers' response to violent images, lead researcher Dr. Bruce Bartholow said, "People who play a lot of violent video games didn't see them (violent images) as much different from neutral (images). "

Gamers also showed a higher likelihood to "punish" fictitious opponents in a game when given the opportunity. Not all are convinced, however. Jonathan Freedman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, and author of Media Violence and its Effects on Aggression, commented, "We habituate to any kind of stimulus. All we are really getting is de-sensitization to images. There's no way to show that this relates to real-life aggression."

GP: There could be something to what Freedman says. After all, doctors, nurses and cops develop a professional detachment when dealing with gruesome injuries that would shock or repulse the average person. What's more, we'd like to see some studies on the aggression caused by, say, rooting for your favorite team in an NFL playoff game or watching the battle scenes in Saving Private Ryan.

The full study will appear later this year in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. For now, you'll find more on this at New Scientist.