TY - JOUR
T1 - Violent Video Games and the P300
T2 - No Evidence to Support the Neural Desensitization Hypothesis
AU - Goodson, Simon
AU - Turner, Kirstie-Jayne
AU - Pearson, Sarah
AU - Carter, Pelham
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/1/11
Y1 - 2021/1/11
N2 - It has been proposed that exposure to violent video games (VVGs) resulted in alterations of social behaviors such as increased aggression. The most damaging reported effect of playing VVGs is neural desensitization to violent stimuli and this is a major concern given the reported number of players and time spent playing major video game titles. The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of neural desensitization that was reported at the P300 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to violent stimuli. Eighty-seven participants were recruited and placed into one of two conditions based on their video gaming behavior (violent games players and nonplayers). ERPs were recorded from participants who passively viewed violent and neutral images selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). The participants then played a VVG, postplaying ERPs were recorded while viewing the neutral and violent IAPS images. The mean amplitudes of the P300 were analyzed with respect to condition, time, and content. There was a significant effect of image but not of VVG player and nonplayer. The results were interpreted as evidence against the neural desensitization hypothesis. The findings of this study are consistent with imaging research and the implications for the reported negative effects of playing VVGs are discussed.
AB - It has been proposed that exposure to violent video games (VVGs) resulted in alterations of social behaviors such as increased aggression. The most damaging reported effect of playing VVGs is neural desensitization to violent stimuli and this is a major concern given the reported number of players and time spent playing major video game titles. The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of neural desensitization that was reported at the P300 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to violent stimuli. Eighty-seven participants were recruited and placed into one of two conditions based on their video gaming behavior (violent games players and nonplayers). ERPs were recorded from participants who passively viewed violent and neutral images selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). The participants then played a VVG, postplaying ERPs were recorded while viewing the neutral and violent IAPS images. The mean amplitudes of the P300 were analyzed with respect to condition, time, and content. There was a significant effect of image but not of VVG player and nonplayer. The results were interpreted as evidence against the neural desensitization hypothesis. The findings of this study are consistent with imaging research and the implications for the reported negative effects of playing VVGs are discussed.
KW - Event-related potential
KW - Agression
KW - P300
KW - General aggression model
KW - Violent video games
KW - Desensitization
KW - violent video games
KW - aggression
KW - event-related potential
KW - desensitization
KW - general aggression model
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099412675&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/cyber.2020.0029
DO - 10.1089/cyber.2020.0029
M3 - Article
VL - 24
SP - 48
EP - 55
JO - Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
JF - Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
SN - 2152-2715
IS - 1
ER -