scholarly journals The Impact of Video Games on Gamers: the Problem of Determining the Transformational Potential of Gaming Activity

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Kyshtymova ◽  
Semen Timofeyev

The paper presents a critical and analytical review of national and foreign scientific works on transformational effects of video games. It focuses the attention on contradictions in the data presented by scientists on the impact of the gaming activity on psychological changes among gamers. It carries out a comparison of the results of the research, presented in the scientific literature, on the impact of computer games on gamers with aggressive and violent content. The article shows the differences in the results of investigating the impact of video games on attention deficit among players, their anxiety and depression, and poor progress at school. It indicates the tendency to unreasonable stereotyping of ideas about the negative effect of the gaming activity. It shows that the differences in the results obtained are caused not only by the subjectivity of the researchers and the ambiguous research methodology, but also by the fact that the game is not differentiated, without isolating its formal and substantive components, which alone or in systemic interaction with other components of the game can explain the transformational effect.

Author(s):  
Giuseppe Curcio ◽  
Sara Peracchia

In the last years, it is ever more frequent to read popular press stories about the effects of video and/or computer games on the brain and on the behavior. In some cases, we can read something claiming that video games “damage the brain,” while in others these activities can “boost brain power,” and such conflicting proclamation create confusion about the real or potential effects of this activity on human beings. Thus, it is very interesting to deeply understand the effect that exposure to video games (VGs) can have on cognitive processes, with particular attention to decision making. Only a few studies have been carried out on this issue: the main aim of this contribution is to clarify these aspects, critically reviewing the existing scientific literature. Particular attention has been dedicated to normal and pathological players, different types of VGs, and moral aspects of decision making vulnerable to VGs. It has been concluded that research in this area is still in its early days, and this short review aims at discussing several issues and challenges that should be addressed to forward this research field.


Author(s):  
Janice L. Anderson

In recent years, researchers and classroom teachers have started to explore purposefully designed computer/video games in supporting student learning. This interest in video and computer games has arisen in part, because preliminary research on educational video and computer games indicates that leveraging this technology has the potential to improve student motivation, interest, and engagement in learning through the use of a familiar medium (Gee, 2005; Mayo, 2009; Squire, 2005; Shaffer, 2006). While most of this early research has focused on the impact of games on academic and social outcomes, relatively few studies have been conducted exploring the influence of games on civic engagement (Lenhart et al, 2008). This chapter will specifically look at how Quest Atlantis, a game designed for learning, can potentially be utilized to facilitate the development of ecological stewardship among its players/students, thereby contributing to a more informed democratic citizenry.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1747-1759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia-Kun Zheng ◽  
Qian Zhang

We investigated how aggression resulting from playing violent computer games varies by gender and trait aggressiveness level. In Study 1, 220 children rated 2 video games in terms of pleasantness, excitement, violent content, violent images, fear, interest, and reality. Results indicated that Virtual Cop2 and Fight Landlord games were perceived as violent and nonviolent, respectively. In Study 2, 240 different children responded to the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire, played either Virtual Cop2 or Fight Landlord, and completed a semantic classification task involving rating whether 60 words were aggressive or nonaggressive. Results showed that boys, but not girls, displayed stronger aggression after playing Virtual Cop2, compared to Fight Landlord. Further, children with high trait aggressiveness exhibited strong aggression after playing Virtual Cop2, whereas those with moderate or low trait aggressiveness did not. Overall, our results indicate that gender and trait aggressiveness both affect aggression among children who play violent video games.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.V. Bogacheva ◽  
A.E. Voiskounsky

The article is aimed at analysis of current studies of the link between video games experience and creativity. The impact of video game playing on the psychological specificity of gamers has repeatedly become a subject of many studies, though higher-level cognitive abilities, such as creativity, were rarely the subject of interest, remaining unexplored in the context of video games. Contrary to the earlier predictions that the increased amount of «readymade» visual information will reduce the imaginative ability, most of the current works show positive links between some types of creativity (in particular — visual) and playing video games. The latter becomes not only a source of inspiration but also a platform for creative realization. Many authors draw attention to possible negative aspects of creativity, in particular, the possibility of its antisocial applications. In this regard, the importance of studying the aggressiveness and empathy of computer players is increasing but the research data in this area is particularly contradictory.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antti Riuttanen ◽  
Jarkko Jokihaara ◽  
Tuomas T. Huttunen ◽  
Ville M. Mattila

Abstract PurposeThe objectives of this study were to evaluate whether pre-injury alcohol use has an influence on an injured patient’s HR-QoL and reported problems.MethodsRetrospective analysis of 227 severely injured trauma patients (age ≥ 18 years, NISS ≥ 16) treated at Tampere University Hospital’s (TAUH) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or High Dependence Unit (HDU) in 2013. HR-QoL was assessed with the EQ-5D questionnaire, and was further compared with index values of population norms of Finland.ResultsPatients with positive BAL expressed notably more anxiety and depression (45%) before trauma compared to both patients with negative BAL (11%) and the reference population (14%). Overall, pre-injury HR-QoL was also poorer in BAL positive patients than BAL negative patients. The amount of anxiety and depression in BAL positive patients decreased after injury. In both groups, the relative number of reported problems after injury exceeded the relative number of reported problems of the reference population in all five EQ-5D dimensions.ConclusionsPatients with positive BAL upon admission report overall lower pre-injury HR-QoL than patients with negative BAL, which is most likely explained by the alcohol’s negative effect on mental health. As reported anxiety and depression decreased one year after injury, we speculate that this may partly be explained by a possible reduction in alcohol use, which has been reported to happen in injury patients. As has previously been reported, the impact of severe injury on post-injury QoL in general is detrimental and long-lasting and overall HR-QoL remains lower than the population norm.


Author(s):  
Vishal Thelkar

Computer and video game has gain enough popularity among teenagers also in children which is alarming and raised concern about the impact it may have on the youngsters. The games have violent themes, coupled with their interactive nature, have led to accusations that they may be worse than televised violence in affecting children's antisocial behaviour. Addiction is one of the reason it might hamper the effect on health. Other allegations are that they have an addictive quality and that excessive playing results in a diminished social contact and poorer school performance. But how bad are video games? There are strong methodological reasons for not accepting the evidence for video games effects at face value This research focuses on what are the views of people towards the computer gaming and to identify the actual effects of computer games on high school students. This paper covers earlier studies on the same topic and their findings in literature survey To reach to the objective, responses from significant no of people taken with systematic design of questionnaire. At the end it covers and conclude the relation of different variables & the effect of games on students.


2020 ◽  
pp. 073563312096375
Author(s):  
Hao-Jan Howard Chen ◽  
Hsiao-Ling Hsu ◽  
Zhi-Hong Chen ◽  
Andrew G. Todd

Many studies have found that computer video games can offer a facilitative vocabulary learning environment. Among different types of computer games, adventure games have received much attention because of their rich input and immersive learning environment. However, some researchers have indicated that because of the characters’ fast-talking speed and many new vocabulary, more lexical supports should be provided in the games. This study thus developed an adventure game with two versions. One version was an adventure game and the other was the same game supported with vocabulary exercises. Two classes were randomly assigned to play two versions of the game and to take a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test. A survey was also conducted to investigate the participants’ perceptions. The results showed that both groups acquired new words, but the experimental group performed significantly better in both the immediate and delayed post-tests. These findings indicated that the adventure game alone can help participants acquire new words. However, the inclusion of word-focused exercises further helped learners retain more new words. Thus, it is suggested that game developers can incorporate word-focused exercises into video games. The additional exercise can allow learners to benefit from both implicit and explicit vocabulary learning.


2018 ◽  
pp. 59-69
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Orekh ◽  
Elena Bogomyagkova

The study reveals the analysis of the discourse of St. Petersburg parents for their ideas about children's computer games. The focus of our attention was the settings that underlie the strategies of regulation of these game practices by adults. The empirical base of the study was a series of semi-structured interviews with parents of children under ten years of age with different social characteristics (gender, age, nature and level of education, income), whose children play video games, and for various reasons are not involved in this process. Interviews were conducted in St. Petersburg in 2016-2017. According to the results obtained, the prohibition or permission of games on the computer, as well as the frequency of access to the gadget and the type of gaming activity (educational – entertaining) are based on two key ideas. The first can be referred to as the idea of "fullness of life", and the second, respectively, as the idea of "quality of life". The idea of "fullness of life" is based on such ideas about the world, when the main value is the diversity of activities, the saturation of life with events. The idea of "quality of life" is based on the value of in-depth development of a particular activity, which is currently considered as an important, significant. As the analysis showed, Russian parents use both ideas in the argument of both permission and prohibition of children's video games, but do not mix them in justifying their own decisions and actions. We also assume that the idea of "quality of life" has a deep history and has been popular for several decades, while the idea of "fullness of life" characterizes the discourse of the modern dynamic and changeable consumer society.


Author(s):  
Giuseppe Curcio ◽  
Sara Peracchia

In the last years, it is ever more frequent to read on popular press stories about the effects of video and/or computer games on the brain and on the behaviour. In some cases we can read something claiming that video games “damage the brain”, while in other that these activities can “boost brain power”, and such conflicting proclamation create confusion about the real or potential effects of this activity on human beings. Thus, it is very interesting to deeply understand the effect that exposure to video games (VGs) can have on cognitive processes, with particular attention to decision making. Only a few studies have been carried out on this issue: the main aim of this contribution is to clarify these aspects, critically reviewing the existing scientific literature. Particular attention has been dedicated to normal and pathological players, different types of VGs, and moral aspects of decision making vulnerable to VGs. It has been concluded that research in this area is still in its early days, and this short review aims at discussing several issues and challenges that should be addressed to forward this research field.


Author(s):  
Janice L. Anderson

In recent years, researchers and classroom teachers have started to explore purposefully designed computer/video games in supporting student learning. This interest in video and computer games has arisen in part, because preliminary research on educational video and computer games indicates that leveraging this technology has the potential to improve student motivation, interest, and engagement in learning through the use of a familiar medium (Gee, 2005; Mayo, 2009; Squire, 2005; Shaffer, 2006). While most of this early research has focused on the impact of games on academic and social outcomes, relatively few studies have been conducted exploring the influence of games on civic engagement (Lenhart et al, 2008). This chapter will specifically look at how Quest Atlantis, a game designed for learning, can potentially be utilized to facilitate the development of ecological stewardship among its players/students, thereby contributing to a more informed democratic citizenry.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document