Violent video games do not cause clearly negative changes in adolescents’ cognitive or emotional functioning, although they may temporarily affect certain mental processes, according to new research by psychologist Ewa Międzobrodzka.
The findings, based on doctoral research conducted at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, examined how violent games influence socio-cognitive skills in adolescents aged 12–16, including empathy, emotion recognition, behavioural control and perspective-taking.
Researchers found no consistent long-term negative effects on most measured abilities. However, a short-term reduction in the ability to take another person’s perspective was observed immediately after gameplay.
“The results show that the impact of violent games is not as clear-cut as is often assumed”, Międzobrodzka said.
“I did not observe significant changes in emotion recognition or behaviour regulation. The only clear short-term effect was a decrease in perspective-taking ability immediately after playing”, she said.
The study combined experimental testing and correlational analysis, with participants playing either violent or neutral video games before undergoing psychological assessments.
More complex findings emerged from EEG-based neurophysiological measurements, which tracked brain responses to stimuli involving the perception of others in pain.
Researchers observed signs of emotional desensitisation depending on prior gaming experience. Adolescents who already played violent games for more than eight hours per week showed a reduced emotional response at baseline, before gameplay. In contrast, participants without prior exposure showed similar reductions after short-term exposure.
“We are talking about the phenomenon of desensitisation, a reduced response to emotional stimuli. Importantly, this effect may also depend on the age of the participants”, Międzobrodzka said. “While I observed a clear desensitisation effect in students, it was more difficult among young people due to their emotional development”.
The researcher stressed that the effects of violent games are not purely negative and may also include cognitive benefits. Previous studies have shown improvements in attention, information processing speed and decision-making linked to gaming.
“We can talk about a certain +cost+ of these cognitive benefits, consisting of a reduced emotional reactivity”, she said.
Międzobrodzka, who works within the Youth and Digitalisation (JEDi) consortium at Utrecht University, said the findings highlight the need for a nuanced approach to evaluating digital media.
“Violent games are not unequivocally harmful or completely neutral. Their impact depends on many factors, including previous experience, time spent playing, and the individual characteristics of the player”, she said.
Międzobrodzka added that assessing the influence of digital media should account for both potential risks and benefits, and emphasised the importance of parental guidance and age-appropriate content for young players. (PAP)
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