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The effect of violent and nonviolent video games on heart rate variability, sleep, and emotions in adolescents with different violent gaming habits
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Stress Research Institute. Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology.
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Stress Research Institute.
Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Stress Research Institute. Uppsala University, Sweden.
2013 (English)In: Psychosomatic Medicine, ISSN 0033-3174, E-ISSN 1534-7796, Vol. 75, no 4, p. 390-396Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Objective To study cardiac, sleep-related, and emotional reactions to playing violent (VG) versus nonviolent video games (NVG) in adolescents with different gaming habits.

Methods Thirty boys (aged 13-16 years, standard deviation = 0.9), half of them low-exposed (≤1 h/d) and half high-exposed (≥3 h/d) to violent games, played a VG/NVG for 2 hours during two different evenings in their homes. Heart rate (HR) and HR variability were registered from before start until next morning. A questionnaire about emotional reactions was administered after gaming sessions and a sleep diary on the following mornings.

Results During sleep, there were significant interaction effects between group and gaming condition for HR (means [standard errors] for low-exposed: NVG 63.8 [2.2] and VG 67.7 [2.4]; for high-exposed: NVG 65.5 [1.9] and VG 62.7 [1.9]; F(1,28) = 9.22, p = .005). There was also a significant interaction for sleep quality (low-exposed: NVG 4.3 [0.2] and VG 3.7 [0.3]); high-exposed: NVG 4.4 [0.2] and VG 4.4 [0.2]; F(1,28) = 3.51, p = .036, one sided), and sadness after playing (low-exposed: NVG 1.0 [0.0] and VG 1.4 [0.2]; high-exposed: NVG 1.2 [0.1] and VG 1.1 [0.1]; (F(1,27) = 6.29, p = .009, one sided).

Conclusions Different combinations of the extent of (low versus high) previous VG and experimental exposure to a VG or an NVG are associated with different reaction patterns-physiologically, emotionally, and sleep related. Desensitizing effects or selection bias stand out as possible explanations.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2013. Vol. 75, no 4, p. 390-396
Keywords [en]
children, heart rate variability, emotion, sleep quality, violent video game, desensitiazation
National Category
Psychology Psychiatry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-92534DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182906a4cISI: 000330467700008PubMedID: 23645706Local ID: P3006OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-92534DiVA, id: diva2:639564
Note

AuthorCount: 4

Available from: 2013-08-08 Created: 2013-08-08 Last updated: 2022-02-24Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Psycho-physiological reactions to violent video gaming: Experimental studies of heart rate variability, cortisol, sleep and emotional reactions in teenage boys
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Psycho-physiological reactions to violent video gaming: Experimental studies of heart rate variability, cortisol, sleep and emotional reactions in teenage boys
2014 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Playing violent video games may provoke aggression. Psycho-physiological methods may provide knowledge about the underlying psychological processes. Most previous studies have been performed in laboratory settings at daytime with adults. Thus the aim of this thesis was to investigate psycho-physiological (autonomic and HPA related reactions), sleep-related and emotional responses in teenage boys to playing a violent and a non-violent video game at home before going to sleep. In Study I the autonomic responses differed between the violent and the non-violent game during playing and more distinctly during sleep. In Study II the HPA axis was not affected by video gaming at all. In Study III, the effect of habits of playing violent games was assessed (≤ 1h/day and ≥ 3h/day). High versus low experience of violent gaming were related to different autonomic, sleep-related and emotional processes at exposure to a violent and a non-violent game, during playing and during sleep. The present thesis demonstrated that violent and non-violent games induce different autonomic responses during playing and – more distinctly – during sleep. Frequent gaming seems to influence physiological, sleep-related and emotional reactions, possibly as an expression of desensitization processes.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 2014. p. 84
Keywords
video gaming, media violence, autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability, HPA axis, cortisol, sleep quality, emotional reactions, desensitization, teenagers
National Category
Psychology
Research subject
Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:su:diva-102626 (URN)978-91-7447-820-4 (ISBN)
Public defence
2014-05-16, David Magnussalen (U31), hus 8, Frescati Hagväg 8, Stockholm, 13:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2014-04-24 Created: 2014-04-11 Last updated: 2022-02-23Bibliographically approved

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Åkerstedt, TorbjörnLindblad, Frank

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