Are Violent Video Games Secret Stress Relievers? New Study Unveils Surprising Findings

A recent study challenged the long-standing belief that violent video games contributed to the development of violent tendencies, suggesting instead they might help reduce stress.

Conducted by Gary L. Wagener, André Schulz and André Melzer, the research published in Physiology & Behaviour magazine examined the impact of playing violent versus non-violent video games on stress hormones, specifically cortisol and testosterone levels, as well as implicit aggressive cognition, IGN India reported.

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The study involved 54 men who played either violent or non-violent sequences from the popular action-adventure game Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

Each participant was limited to 25 minutes of gameplay and salivary samples were collected at different intervals. The results indicated a significant decrease in cortisol levels during the 20-minute mark of playing the violent sequence, suggesting a stress-reducing effect. Interestingly, there were no significant effects on implicit aggressive cognition.

The research concluded that playing violent video games might have a stress-reducing, calming effect, dependent on personality traits such as Machiavellianism and associated psychological needs.

The findings challenged the widespread notion that violent video games lead to violent behavior.

Acknowledging its limitations, such as a relatively small sample size, the study underscored the necessity for conducting more extensive research in varied situations to bolster the validity of these conclusions.

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Photo: Ponomarenko Anastasia on Shutterstock.