What is the impact of video games on behavior?

Introduction

The impact of video games on behavior has been a topic of significant interest and debate. Research has explored both the positive and negative effects of video game play on various aspects of behavior, including cognitive skills, aggression, prosocial behavior, and psychological functioning.

Key Insights

Cognitive Skills Enhancement
- Action video games improve top-down attention, spatial cognition, and perception .
- Video games enhance multitasking, self-empowerment, control, and decision-making skills.
Aggressive Behavior and Cognition
- Violent video games increase aggressive behavior, thoughts, and feelings in both children and adults .
- Exposure to violent video games is linked to increased physiological arousal and decreased empathy and prosocial behavior .
- Boys are more susceptible to the aggressive effects of violent video games compared to girls.
Psychological Functioning
- Problematic video gaming is negatively correlated with psychological functioning, affecting psychological symptoms, affectivity, coping, and self-esteem.
- Gamers' reasons for playing and preferred game genres are differentially related to psychological functioning, with notable risks for distraction-motivated and action game players.
Prosocial Behavior
- Prosocial video games increase helping behavior, willingness to assist, and intervention in harassment situations.
- Prosocial video games activate prosocial thoughts, promoting positive social behavior.

Conclusion

The impact of video games on behavior is multifaceted. While action video games can enhance cognitive skills such as attention, spatial cognition, and multitasking, violent video games are associated with increased aggression and decreased prosocial behavior. Problematic gaming can negatively affect psychological functioning, but prosocial video games can promote positive social behaviors. The effects of video games on behavior are influenced by the content of the games and the motivations behind playing them.

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What is the impact of video games on behavior?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Meta-Analysis of Action Video Game Impact on Perceptual, Attentional, and Cognitive Skills

Action video game play positively impacts top-down attention, spatial cognition, and perception, with potential for positive effects on other cognitive domains.

Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature

Playing violent video games increases aggressive behavior in children and young adults, increases physiological arousal, and decreases prosocial behavior.

The Association Between Video Gaming and Psychological Functioning

Problematic video gaming is negatively correlated with psychological symptoms, affectivity, coping, and self-esteem, with the most notable effects observed for distraction-motivated and action game players.

Toward brain correlates of natural behavior: fMRI during violent video games

fMRI during violent video games reveals significant neuronal correlates of real-life behavior, with activation of dorsal and deactivation of rostral anterior cingulate and amygdala characterized by mid-frontal patterns related to virtual violence.

Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in eastern and western countries: a meta-analytic review.

Exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and affect, and decreased empathy and prosocial behavior in both Eastern and Western countries.

Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Cognition and Aggressive Behavior

Playing violent video games increases aggressive cognition and behavior in children, with a larger effect on boys than for girls.

The effects of video game play on young children's aggression, fantasy, and prosocial behavior

Violent video games and violent television cartoons both increase aggressive behavior in young children, with no significant difference between the two media.

Effects of prosocial video games on prosocial behavior.

Playing prosocial video games increases helping behavior and activates prosocial thoughts, promoting prosocial behavior.

Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life.

Exposure to violent video games increases aggressive behavior and delinquency, with stronger effects for individuals already aggressive and men, and negatively impacts academic achievement.

THE IMPACT OF VIDEO GAMES ON COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Playing video games positively impacts cognitive abilities like multitasking, self-empowerment, control, and quick decision-making, compared to non-gamers.

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