Most people who have encountered computer games have either a negative or a positive opinion of this pastime. Indifferent, in general, few. And for many years, does not subside debate between the opponents and supporters of computer games, and the arguments are very diverse. Sometimes it’s amazing what logical chains are built. And mostly both sides emphasize issues related to the psyche, society and personal development. Let’s try to figure out what psychologists think about video games.
In the United States 99% of boys and 94% of girls regularly play video games. Of those, 97% spend at least an hour a day playing. The combined revenue of the video game industry exceeded $25 billion a year even five years ago, and games themselves have long been an integral part of pop culture.
Video games have been looked down upon, perhaps since their inception. For decades they have been attributed all sorts of harm to the bodies and minds of children and teenagers. With the release of Wolfenstein 3D, followed by the first Doom, the unabated love for 3D shooters began to gain strength to this day. As a result the list of computer games sins was complemented with propaganda of violence and bloodthirstiness. It is also believed that too much passion for games can cause psychological addiction, and sometimes depression, when the player too much empathy to some not-so-joyful plot developments. Games have also been blamed for the occasional shooting by mentally unstable teenagers in American schools. There are even programs in this country aimed at distracting children from video games. But in spite of this, children there play almost entirely and enthusiastically.
So are games really harmful? And if so, but by how much? Researchers have been asking this question for decades, but the results of various tests and observations are quite contradictory. In the end, psychologists have begun to say that it is time to pay attention not only to the negative, but also to the positive aspects of passion for video games, which are usually ignored, because the researchers initially set out to find the negative. But games have changed a lot in recent years, they have become much more complex, realistic, and socially oriented. This has to have some effect. And the results of some studies conducted in the last five years suggest that all is not so bad with games. Psychologists have noted that modern video games can promote social and cognitive skills, provide new emotional experiences, and even sometimes contribute to overall mental health.
Research in the fields of age and evolutionary psychology has long underestimated the positive effects of games, especially during childhood and adolescence. By playing social games, children not only try out different scenarios of interaction with other people, but also learn to solve conflict situations that may arise in real life. Games allow to safely “rehearse” power and dominance, aggression, pain and breakups.
Some time ago, researchers found that in rats, playful scuffles produced growth factors in brain regions responsible for social activity. As a result, the medial prefrontal area receives additional stimulation and develops better over time. And given the great similarity of some social games in animals and humans, we can assume that games may have a similar effect on our children’s brains.
But can we assume that video games can also help the younger generation “pump up their skills”? According to Isabela Granik, one of the authors of the study on the benefits of video games, yes, this kind of social interaction can give players the same benefits as “offline” games. Any gamer knows very well that video games not only provide unique opportunities for interaction with the in-game system that are unavailable in more passive forms of entertainment (cinema, television), but also allow online competition with hundreds or thousands of other people.
Under the banners of one of the most popular online games – WoW – gathered more than 20 million players, exploring the world, battling each other and with game monsters, gathering in clans, mining raw materials, creating items, communicating in chat rooms, trading with each other. Minecraft’s success can’t be explained by realistic graphics and perfect world physics, but millions of people spend countless man-hours in this game creating virtual worlds and sharing them with other players. And what is the series of games Sims, in which the player through his character lives a virtual life, ordinary or unusual, solely to the extent of his imagination. There is a huge number of popular game worlds, in which enthusiastically spend time and interact with each other representatives of almost all countries.
What can video games give us, what skills can be developed with their help?
Cognitive abilities. Action fans improve their spatial imagination, their ability to mentally rotate three-dimensional objects, their ability to shift their attention faster and more accurately, and their ability to visualize processes with higher spatial resolution. Orientation in space improves rather quickly, and often the result is not worse than after special physical training. Video games promote more active and effective interaction of neurons, which increases the ability to concentrate and recognize patterns. Fans of shooters do better, and the smallest improvements are noted for fans of puzzle and role-playing games. Although it should be noted that modern games are often very complex, which makes it very difficult to give any verdict on their impact on cognitive ability.
Network games help children and adolescents learn to solve problem situations by forcing them to take different approaches. Interactive games can also stimulate creativity and ingenuity. Although it is not yet completely clear about the correlation of skills acquired in games with real-life situations, the evidence is still encouraging.
Motivation. By solving specific game problems, despite obstacles, young people can develop self-confidence and understand the value of persistence and perseverance. Through immediate problem-solving feedback, players get a clear view of their abilities and level of intelligence they may not have known they had. Games help children understand that intelligence is an incremental thing, that is, it can increase over time through effort.
In addition, immediate feedback allows players to be in the “zone of proximal development” (this concept was introduced by Lev Vygotsky). As the difficulty of the game increases, so does the skill level of the players, as a result of prolonged practice. And with the help of periodic reinforcement, games encourage players not to give up, despite more and more difficult challenges.
As in the previous section, there is as yet little evidence that the motivation gained from games can be transferred to real life. Although many skills of solving virtual problems can also be applied in everyday situations. In addition, the character of the player, his or her individual characteristics, plays an important role.
Emotions. Most people play video games for fun, to improve their mood. In addition to escapism (this is especially important for teenagers), a successful game helps to reduce irritability and relaxation. Many players note a sense of pride, and deep immersion in the game gives a sense of control in which you completely forget about yourself. This mental state described by players corresponds to the concept of “flow. According to psychologists, the state of “flow” increases self-confidence and self-esteem, which can theoretically have a positive effect on one’s state of mind.
The positive emotions that arise from regular deep immersion in play can also increase perception and force a new perspective on one’s life. Barbara Frederickson, author of psychological theory, believes that positive emotions help broaden the range of desired behaviors and build social bonds to help achieve goals and cope with setbacks. It is not yet clear whether video game emotions fit into this theory, but most gamers appreciate the emotional payoff they receive.
Social skills. Today’s video games are aimed at intense social activity like never before. Despite the stereotypical perception of gamers as unsociable introverts, over 70% of gamers actively interact in virtual worlds with their friends, playing in teams or competing with them. Through social activity during games, young people learn to communicate with other people, which can be projected into real life as well.
Despite the aggressive plot of many games, they still teach players how to work as a team by focusing on interactions with everyone involved. According to the study, playing a shooter with friends decreases hostility and aggression more than playing the same game alone. Given the criticism from the concerned public, more research in this area makes sense. But it is safe to say that playing together improves social skills and reduces aggression.