Nachimir

Games affect me. If I play driving games, then go out and drive, I generally drive faster than I usually would. I have several friends who report the same effect.

Thanks for a sources ART.

Google for B.F. Skinner, operant conditioning and army training. The basics: In WWII, firing rates, that is, "shooting to kill", were at 2%. It was because they were using bullseyes to train soldiers; due to innate empathy, an adept marksman could flake out when he actually had to point the rifle at other humans in combat. They started training with pop-up, man shaped targets, and firing rates climbed. Now, modern training methods can get firing rates above 90%.

The training, by simuating a real event, constructs a reflex that circumvents basic empathy. This is seperable from good marksmanship (which is a different set of reflexes), and it is highly likely that computer games also have a similar affect (Someone did try to blame video games for the Washington sniper, while he was still shooting people. Retarded logic...)

It should be noted that this reflex does not destroy innate species empathy; soldiers who have been trained to kill and then do so may have trouble dealing with the psychological effects of the action afterward.

I'd also like to say that I play violent games and I design levels for them. Why? Because I'm almost 100% certain that none of this conditioning actually supplies anyone with a motive to kill. It may increase their capacity to; it may also increase existing pathological desires, but I do not believe it creates the desire to kill or maim.

It seems violent games do predispose people to think of violent solutions to agitated situations, and I can see that in myself, though I can also see other likely contributing factors. I have still never resorted to a violent solution because I am able to control myself and think about consequence. I've looked too hard to believe media and entertainment have no effect on us, but I also believe people, and not media, are actually responsible for their actions.

Another interesting factor is that there is a market for violent games. People desire to enact violent situations, and it is a good point that there are countries where life is cheap, so to speak, and computer games aren't readily available. Violent media is clearly a factor, but I think something a bit deeper is going on...