Violent Video Games: Playing These May Help Reduce Stress, But Increase Aggression

Previous studies have examined the dangers of playing video games.

Now, new findings published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior reveal that playing violent video games can help to improve mood, but may also increase the risk of aggression.

For the study, researchers recruited over 80 students who had little experience dealing with violent video games. Half of the volunteers were asked to play a frustrating video game while the other half skipped the frustrating video game and went directly to the next phase of the study.

Pariticipants were given either a nonviolent game titled "LittleBigPlanet 2" or a violent game called "Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage." The players were involved with the game for about 18 minutes. Then, they were required to fill out a questionnaire after they played the game. 

Findings revealed that frustrated players were motivated to move farther ahead in the games, which later decreased their frustration and boosted their mood. And this was true for both games. However, researchers noticed that the players who highly enjoyed violent games showed a tendency to perceive the world in a more hostile way than counterparts who enjoyed the nonviolent version.

All-in-all, the researchers recommend that users seek out nonviolent game options first.

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