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Studies

by Mike Masnick

Fri, Oct 17th 2003 5:19pm





Video Games Help You Get Over Fears

from the see?-not-so-bad... dept

There have been a lot of stories recently about how video games are good for you (intermixed, of course, with the ones that say video games are bad for you). There was the study showing that video games improved vision followed by one about how video games improved hearing. Now, a new study has shown that video games are very useful in helping people get over their fears. The researchers used "Half-Life" and "Unreal Tournament" to simulate various phobias and let people play in those environments to get comfortable with their fears. They found that it worked just as well as expensive simulators or controlled exposure to the actual phobia. Now, perhaps we need to create a video game that helps certain lawyers get over their irrational fear of video games.

5 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    Fear exists for a reason

    identicon
    dorpus, Oct 17th, 2003 @ 8:34pm

    Should little kids be trained not to be afraid of rattlesnakes? Or should teens be trained not to be afraid of writing poems on their arms with razor blades? Or how about grownups who are trained not to be afraid of driving their cars through crowded pedestrian areas?


    If one can prove that video games do influence behavior, then the argument cuts both ways, and keeps cutting, and keeps cutting, and...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    A definitely destructive site

    identicon
    dorpus, Oct 17th, 2003 @ 8:35pm

    http://www.ruinyourlife.com/ThePage.htm?Self_injury_pictures_page.htm~textwindow

    I don't think we'll have swarms of angry teens defending this one.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Re: A definitely destructive site

    identicon
    justin, Oct 18th, 2003 @ 12:02pm

    No, but as an adult I'll defend it. Why shouldnt people who do themselves harm have a place to talk about it? It is probably immensely helpful. You can't have one rule for alcoholics (say) and one for other forms of harm.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Vertigo

    identicon
    dizzy, Oct 18th, 2003 @ 12:03pm

    Video games don;t help you get over a fear of heights - in fact they can make it worse. I often get attacks when playing games that involve narrow ledges etc.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    Re: Vertigo

    identicon
    bbay, Oct 19th, 2003 @ 1:54pm

    Video games don;t help you get over a fear of heights - in fact they can make it worse. I often get attacks when playing games that involve narrow ledges etc.

    Actually, the very fact that these games can stimulate the fear is what gives them theraputic value. It allows someone to be exposed to the fear in short intervals and in a safe and controlled setting.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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