Gamers' Brains Are Different
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But when I gamble I don't risk take...ever. So, either this is only the case for when my brain recognizes I am playing video games or what the fuck.
Gambling doesn't hold any kind of appeal to me anyway, even in pokemon I get bored of the casino slots so easily. That kind of reckless risk taking in say poker or such just confuses the hell out of me. Sure you might win money but the chances are fairly decent you'll lose it.
In a game there are no such real life consequences. So I roll with it. I lost? Well that's really sad for my digitized character but unlike me he/she/it is immortal.
Gambling doesn't hold any kind of appeal to me anyway, even in pokemon I get bored of the casino slots so easily. That kind of reckless risk taking in say poker or such just confuses the hell out of me. Sure you might win money but the chances are fairly decent you'll lose it.
In a game there are no such real life consequences. So I roll with it. I lost? Well that's really sad for my digitized character but unlike me he/she/it is immortal.
Yes that is definitely a Kanamite from "To Serve Man." I love The Twilight Zone.Warrior Irme said:
And "it's a cookbook" is probably one of the greatest punchlines of all time.
Will this be used for gambling withdrawal?
I bet a really nice gaming rig and everything on Steam is still cheaper than a gambling habit. And if you can't pay, it just get's repoed and your legs wont necessarily get broken.
Well, of course!Grey Carter said:
To someone who's not paying much attention, that sounds like a terrible thing! But when you stop and get down to it, when you are killed in a game, what do you do? RIGHT! You restart and try again. In gambling, however, restarting means spending more money.
So, while the two activities stimulate that same part of the brain, the gamer tries again because he doesn't want the game to win and to progress; the gambler does it to make money/recoup losses. See the two different frames of mind?
This article doesn't really do that good a job of actually telling me much about the study. I suppose I should just go read it myself.
I think we've all met (or are) gamers that handle challenges in different way. Some people are on the MMO feedback train where we struggle for our pellets in predictable ways. The very idea of daily quests that are monotonous button pushing exercises is something that is as big a turn off to some people as it is attractive to others. Then you've got the folks who only want to be the best, or beat the game on the hardest setting in the most challenging way possible, since otherwise it's not worth it to them. And conversely, as mentioned above in the comments here, we've got people who want the exact opposite, to enjoy the ride with as little challenge as possible.
So how they can say that all gamers react in a certain way is beyond me. I guess the risk/reward response is independent from the challenge itself, but someone who persists in the face of failure (as this would seem to suggest) would be less likely to seek the easy route. It's so very different from gambling because you eventually run out of money, though I guess you could say we gamers are still spending our time, and we do eventually run out of that, too.
I think we've all met (or are) gamers that handle challenges in different way. Some people are on the MMO feedback train where we struggle for our pellets in predictable ways. The very idea of daily quests that are monotonous button pushing exercises is something that is as big a turn off to some people as it is attractive to others. Then you've got the folks who only want to be the best, or beat the game on the hardest setting in the most challenging way possible, since otherwise it's not worth it to them. And conversely, as mentioned above in the comments here, we've got people who want the exact opposite, to enjoy the ride with as little challenge as possible.
So how they can say that all gamers react in a certain way is beyond me. I guess the risk/reward response is independent from the challenge itself, but someone who persists in the face of failure (as this would seem to suggest) would be less likely to seek the easy route. It's so very different from gambling because you eventually run out of money, though I guess you could say we gamers are still spending our time, and we do eventually run out of that, too.
And? This being a possible treatment for gambling would still be a good counter-argument.Saltyk said:
so, does this apply to the real world also? if so, that sounds like a good thing. that could mean that by gaming we're more likely to be successful as we are less likely to give up.
Actually this isn't at all surprising. though that last line about games being useful to test for addiction isn't right
Gaming isn't addictive, (Extra Credits covered this, I'll post a link later.) Addiction refers to altering the brain chemistry, where the brain needs a specific stimuli to function, games have never been shown to do that. Games are compelling, they have a strong appeal to them.
The study in Belgium has confirmed that when playing games you gain a sense of control,your actions control your fate. In games the outcome of your actions is almost immediate, so you get immediate reward for success, and in most games a tiny mistake can be easily shaken off.
The problem with Game Compulsion, (Here I'm referring it to teens and young adults) is what it really means.
Here's the truth, i play games, read books spend time on the net, it's escapism, and the truth is the reason I'm so determined to to all this is in my real life, I feel kinda trapped, I think only a handful of people give a damn, and I have this gnawing feeling that I won't graduate, not because 'm not smart but because I forgot to do some grad requirement. SO the truth is, I don't play games because I'm addicted, I play games because I want to be somewhere where I'm in control.
but I'm getting ranty so I'm going to stop now.
oh like I promised, if this game addiction thing was ineresting to you Extra Credits Did an episode on it at Penny Arcade
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/game-addiction-pt.1
Gaming isn't addictive, (Extra Credits covered this, I'll post a link later.) Addiction refers to altering the brain chemistry, where the brain needs a specific stimuli to function, games have never been shown to do that. Games are compelling, they have a strong appeal to them.
The study in Belgium has confirmed that when playing games you gain a sense of control,your actions control your fate. In games the outcome of your actions is almost immediate, so you get immediate reward for success, and in most games a tiny mistake can be easily shaken off.
The problem with Game Compulsion, (Here I'm referring it to teens and young adults) is what it really means.
Here's the truth, i play games, read books spend time on the net, it's escapism, and the truth is the reason I'm so determined to to all this is in my real life, I feel kinda trapped, I think only a handful of people give a damn, and I have this gnawing feeling that I won't graduate, not because 'm not smart but because I forgot to do some grad requirement. SO the truth is, I don't play games because I'm addicted, I play games because I want to be somewhere where I'm in control.
but I'm getting ranty so I'm going to stop now.
oh like I promised, if this game addiction thing was ineresting to you Extra Credits Did an episode on it at Penny Arcade
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/game-addiction-pt.1
This doesn't sound like a bad thing to me. I have only been to a casino about 5 or 6 times and when I'm losing I generally don't stick around to loose even more. But having a brain that is predisposed to shrug off a loss and keep going is something that can come in handy in the real world. Sports and competitive work environments can really benefit from this.
It would be interesting to do factor analysis with singleplayer/multiplayer gaming, and between different gaming genres. And to compare gamer brains with sports player brains - in some cases, playing a game and playing a sport have shown themselves to be psychologically similar in the past.
