Does excessive play of violent first-person-shooter-video-games dampen brain activity in response to emotional stimuli?

Montag, Christian; Weber, Bernd; Trautner, Peter; Newport, Beate; Markett, Sebastian; Walter, Nora T.; Felten, Andrea; Reuter, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.09.014

Cited by 92 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Nevertheless, as noted earlier, it may be of interest/importance to assess addictive tendencies of patients in distinct areas of Internet usage such as online pornography addiction, which may relate intimately to LUST circuitry (e.g., Brand et al, 2016a). In addition, Internet Gaming Disorder may have linkages to online first-person-shooter-video games (Montag et al, 2011a), which may be linked to excessive arousal of the RAGE/irritability personality dimension (Montag et al, 2012b). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Affective Neuroscience Framework for the Molecular Study of Internet Addiction

Montag

Sindermann²,

Becker

et al. 2016

Front. Psychol.

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Internet addiction represents an emerging global health issue. Increasing efforts have been made to characterize risk factors for the development of Internet addiction and consequences of excessive Internet use. During the last years, classic research approaches from psychology considering personality variables as vulnerability factor, especially in conjunction with neuroscience approaches such as brain imaging, have led to coherent theoretical conceptualizations of Internet addiction. Although such conceptualizations can be valuable aid, the research field is currently lacking a comprehensive framework for determining brain-based and neurochemical markers of Internet addiction. The present work aims at providing a framework on the molecular level as a basis for future research on the neural and behavioral level, in order to facilitate a comprehensive neurobiological model of Internet addiction and its clinical symptomatology. To help establish such a molecular framework for the study of Internet addiction, we investigated in N = 680 participants associations between individual differences in tendencies toward Internet addiction measured by the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS-2) and individual differences in primary emotional systems as assessed by the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS). Regression analysis revealed that the ANPS scales FEAR and SADNESS were the ANPS scales most robustly positively linked to several (sub)scales of the GPIUS-2. Also the scales SEEKING, CARE and PLAY explain variance in some of the GPIUS-2 subscales. As such, these scales are negatively linked to the GPIUS-2 subscales. As the ANPS has been constructed on substantial available brain data including an extensive molecular body with respect to evolutionary highly conserved emotional circuitry in the ancient mammalian brain, the present study gives first ideas on putative molecular mechanisms underlying different facets of Internet addiction as derived from associations between tendencies toward Internet addiction and individual differences in primary emotional systems. For example, as SADNESS is linked to the overall GPIUS-2 score, and the neuropeptide oxytocin is known to downregulate SADNESS, it is conceivable that the neuropeptide might play a role in Internet addition on the molecular level. Our findings provide a theoretical framework potentially illuminating the molecular underpinnings of Internet addiction. Finally, we also present data on the ANPS and smartphone addiction at the end of the paper. Similar to the reported associations between the ANPS and the GPIUS-2, these correlations might provide an initial outline for a framework guiding future studies that aim to address the molecular basis of smartphone addiction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Affective Neuroscience Framework for the Molecular Study of Internet Addiction

Montag

Sindermann²,

Becker

et al. 2016

Front. Psychol.

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“…To our knowledge only two studies focussed on long term desensitization effects of VVG use by the means of fMRI. In the first study small effects were shown but the results were not adequately corrected for multiple comparisons (Montag et al, 2012) which raise the possibility that the reported differences would not have survived adequate correction. Our group studied 28 male excessive VVG users and a matched control group with two experiments using emotional picture stimuli from the IAPS data base (Szycik et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As Montag et al (2012) and Szycik et al (2016) the current study focused on the long-term desensitization effects of VVG use but this time with an emphasis on empathy. For this reason we used a picture set, patterned after the materials of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP; George and West, 2001), designed to elicit empathic / emotional reactions in situations with and without social interaction (Krämer et al, 2010; Beyer et al, 2014a,b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lack of Evidence That Neural Empathic Responses Are Blunted in Excessive Users of Violent Video Games: An fMRI Study

et al. 2017

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The use of violent video games has been often linked to increase of aggressive behavior. According to the General Aggression Model, one of the central mechanisms for this aggressiveness inducing impact is an emotional desensitization process resulting from long lasting repeated violent game playing. This desensitization should evidence itself in a lack of empathy. Recent research has focused primarily on acute, short term impact of violent media use but only little is known about long term effects. In this study 15 excessive users of violent games and control subjects matched for age and education viewed pictures depicting emotional and neutral situations with and without social interaction while fMRI activations were obtained. While the typical pattern of activations for empathy and theory of mind networks was seen, both groups showed no differences in brain responses. We interpret our results as evidence against the desensitization hypothesis and suggest that the impact of violent media on emotional processing may be rather acute and short-lived.

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“…For instance, violent video games have been implicated in sleep disruption [12] and decreased response to negative stimuli [13]. The violent and criminal content of some game narratives have prompted concern that players may emulate game scenarios in real life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Video Games on Cognition and Brain Structure: Potential Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Shams

Foussias

Zawadzki

et al. 2015

Curr Psychiatry Rep

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Video games are now a ubiquitous form of entertainment that has occasionally attracted negative attention. Video games have also been used to test cognitive function, as therapeutic interventions for neuropsychiatric disorders, and to explore mechanisms of experience-dependent structural brain changes. Here, we review current research on video games published from January 2011 to April 2014 with a focus on studies relating to mental health, cognition, and brain imaging. Overall, there is evidence that specific types of video games can alter brain structure or improve certain aspects of cognitive functioning. Video games can also be useful as neuropsychological assessment tools. While research in this area is still at a very early stage, there are interesting results that encourage further work in this field, and hold promise for utilizing this technology as a powerful therapeutic and experimental tool.

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Does excessive play of violent first-person-shooter-video-games dampen brain activity in response to emotional stimuli?

Cited by 92 publications

References 17 publications

An Affective Neuroscience Framework for the Molecular Study of Internet Addiction

An Affective Neuroscience Framework for the Molecular Study of Internet Addiction

Lack of Evidence That Neural Empathic Responses Are Blunted in Excessive Users of Violent Video Games: An fMRI Study

The Effects of Video Games on Cognition and Brain Structure: Potential Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disorders

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