On the Social Psychology site I found a link to an article from one of the headlines in a science paper. It talks about two studies conducted at The University of Michigan testing what effect watching violent films or playing violent video games had on people in relation to helping someone else who was injured. In the first study college students were asked to play either violent or non violent video games for 20 minutes and then they staged a fight that left one person with a "sprained ankle". The people who played the violent video game took longer to respond to the victim than those who didn't. The study of the people who watched a violent movie had the same result.
Here is the link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090219202831.htm
I think that this is definitely something to think about. Although I wonder, what could be done about it? Will video game makers stop creating games that depict so much extreme violence? I have my serious doubts. Also, does this kind of media stop people from helping entirely? The study showed that the people who watched the violent movies or games took longer to respond, but they still responded. I can see how these things can have a numbing effect on humans though. But what could some of the other reasons be that cause human aggression or reasons people don't help a victim? Could it also be attributed to news media and newspapers in their choice of what sells? People that possibly have lived through violence in their own lives?
6 comments:
I agree with the result from the experiment but as Renee questioned testers’ reaction could have been affected by other reasons based on their social, cultural, or mental background. I think the experiment is not enough to conclude overall human reaction when they encounter accidents such as seeing victims who need immediate help. The scientists measured time after testers watched violent movies or played violent video games. A few minutes’ later testers were exposed to a controlled environment that is to confront a person who needs urgent help. Of course they can’t react immediately because their brain is numbed with brutal scenes through their eyes. It doesn’t mean these testers always would not will to help people promptly. Human eyes are easily captured by what they see and affect their mental status. For that reason, the experiment can’t define human behavior in general. It could define only in a certain condition.
This study suggests that a part of our culture, video games and movies, are a part of what stops or delays people from helping in an emergency. While it may not be definite that they have an impact on the reaction time of helping an injured person, I find it fascinating and sad that this study suggests they do. I would expect and hope that people would be able to make a distinction between the virtual world and real life. I know the video games I've seen not only expose the player to violence, but require that the player inflict violence. Some news stories like the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings may suggest that video games might go beyond dwindling our altruistic behaviors and actually promote aggressive and violent behavior. Video games are also marketed for younger audiences, I wonder if as these generations grow up because they are exposed to violence this will become more of a problem. I hope that in the future we can have video games and movies that promote altruism in our society to try and avoid such things.
I agree with Erin's first sentence that is only a part of our culture, games, movies, and what stops or delays people from helping in an emergency.
Before the inventing of video games or movies, there existed same violence, I mean, of course, in such different shapes of violence. But still violence.
Personally, I played kind of violence games such as GTA, DIABLO, ECT, like 4~5 years ago. Even though, I played this kind of games, I'm not a freak person of violence game. ANd, i think, if I encounter accidents in which seeing victims who need help, my reaction does not depends on any experiences of games or movies.
It is personal things like one,who played a lot gun games, can help immediately.
I agree with the test result from the article. When people watch the violence video or movie, they will get use to injured people. In real situation, they can be confused with imagination. However, I wonder which ages are the most effective age on the test. It can be a teenagager, children and adult. In my experience, when I was young about age 9, I watched one pretty violence movie and tried to follow the scene of sword fight.
Therefore, I belive the violence video or movie can affect the people's conduct and personality.
I laughed hard at this, to be honest I'm sorry but when I first read this article/link posted in original post, I already knew what was coming up. This seems more like the stereotypical person who -already- has aggressiveness in their behavior/personality and enjoys playing these types of games, therefore, are 'numb' to these helping feelings.
I personally am a hardcore gamer, and I've played all sorts of games. Games in my opinion, are mere tools for getting away from life, for experiencing things that wouldn't happen in normal life. It shouldn't affect your aggressiveness at all, if anything it will affect your social life. But then again, you have a whole new community of gamer friends that can share similar thoughts with you.
Back on topic, I might be biased in these thoughts because I can't see myself doing something like that, and I personally don't understand how people become.. 'less helpful' from playing 'violent games', but my opinion is that the testers should've done a more open based research/test more based off gender of personality wise maybe?
True, video games were geared towards being made for a younger audience, but they're still rated a certain level or for a certain age group to prevent such things. I think the developers would've taken this into consideration before putting their product on market. (and now I just realized/remember that people have friends/older people buy it for them, so they get around the rule anyhow, which, also leads to other subjects.. but anyhow..)
this is my opinion.
This is very interesting-
It was to my understanding that the people in the experiment were to initially choose which video game they wanted to watch... right?
I would assumed that those who chose to watch/play a violent movie/game were already less negatively-effected by violence, than the others. Does this mean they are genuinely more violent humans? Or have they slowly been exposed to more violence, and therefore less effected by it? I guess it depends if you agree that a person's personality influenced more by genetics or by their environment.
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