Gamers' Brains Are Different

[The Wooster]

Gamers' Brains Are Different

A Belgian study claims there's a direct correlation between time spent gaming and the size of brain matter directly attributed to feelings of reward and satisfaction.

The bad news is that, according to the study, frequent gamers have the same sense of reward as pathological gamblers. The study discovered that when a gamer "loses," the reward centers of their brain activate, dispersing dopamine into the system, encouraging them to disregard the loss and continue playing. Much like gamblers, frequent gamers had a larger ventral striatum - colloquially called the 'reward center' - than other respondents. So next time someone says gaming makes you stupid, you can whip out your ventral striatum and show them a thing or two.

The study, which was conducting by monitoring MRI scans of respondents brains - specifically the ventral striatum - during tests designed to evaluate reactions to win/lose situations, was not specifically looking for relationships between gaming and gambling, but noted that the evidence does indicate a strong possibility of correlation between the two.

The research paper did mention that gaming could pose a less destructive option for measuring the impact and effects of addiction on the human brain. A method less physically damaging than, say, giving the research subjects a bottle of scotch.

Source: Translation Psychiatry [http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v1/n11/full/tp201153a.html] via Industry Gamers [http://www.industrygamers.com/news/gamers-have-different-brains-than-others-says-study/]


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[uguito-93]

I guess this is a way to explain why a lot of us usually say "I'll stop after I get past this bit" when ever there's a particular hard section in a game.

Methinks this could also be used to provide help for compulsive gamblers by using games to replace the mental need for a reward of some sort.

 

[Saltyk]

I frequently give up after a game has started frustrating me. If I'm not having fun, I'll give up and go do something else, play a different game, cook, or whatever. It could be worse.

I just hope this doesn't give ammunition to that whole "game addiction" argument.

 

[Furioso]

Well that would explain Dark/Demons's Souls, especially in that when you accomplish something in that game, you pretty much feel/act like you won the jackpot

 

[sir.rutthed]

Better than a bottle of Scotch? That's some damn good science!

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

So we're more apt to persevere, perhaps at the risk of misjudging whether or not something is worth it?

 

[Warrior Irme]

Seems like something we were already aware of, but nice to have some science to back it up. On a side note, is that a still from the "To Serve Man" episode of The Twilight Zone?

 

[Catalyst6]

But remember, gamers. This study does not (repeat: does not) mean that gaming makes you automatically more intelligent. Let's not be those people, eh?

 

[Baresark]

So, their brains aren't actually different in a good way. Or they are different but only if you exclude gamblers from the equation.

Really, what they are saying is that while gaming the brain mimics the reward system of the brain and uses that to make people disregard the loss, but this is something that occurs during gaming (by their own study). So, it's not really telling us anything since it's not measuring the results and effects outside the act of gaming.

Also, publishing the results of a single study is, as always, very misleading. It's a single study. One doesn't conclude anything. I am reminded of the Law of Large numbers, someone should learn that one.

On the other hand, I'm not a psychologist, so I could be talking out of my ass. But, I will say this: People who are experts in a field often times have tunnel vision and do not see the other stimuli in a given situation.

 

[Baresark]

But remember, gamers. This study does not (repeat: does not) mean that gaming makes you automatically more intelligent. Let's not be those people, eh?

Haha. At face value, it really makes gamers look a lot more dumb.

 

[copycatalyst]

Now the question is: does the gamer have a larger reward center because of games? Or is he drawn to reward-driven activities (like gaming or gambling) because he developed a larger reward center?

 

[Freaky Lou]

I generally play games to explore and experience new worlds, not so much for challenge/reward. So I'm not sure how much this'd apply to me. I generally just get annoyed and walk away after losing repeatedly.

 

[Callate]

...Wouldn't that suggest you'd get addicted to losing? Or are there stress-related chemical releases that offset the effect?

 

[haffy13]

Hmm a bit weird. I used to play poker quite a lot, made a modest amount of money. The reason I quit was the gambling side turned me away from it. I've always hated playing blackjack/roulette and the variance side of poker, along with Full Tilt closing down and taking some of my money stopped me playing. But with games, the harder the more fun. Trials HD, SC2, etc.

 

[AMMO Kid]

Yea but this was kind of obvious. I guess it's official now though.

 

[DanDeFool]

Great. Now if only I can get the same effect when doing work or talking to chicks.

Honestly, it's really hard to persist in spite of failure in real life.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

I don't usually like the whole challenge thing when I play, I simply get enjoyment out of immersion. This is why I play all my games on the very easiest settings.

Does that mean I'm not likely to become a gambler? WOO!

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Great. Now if only I can get the same effect when doing work or talking to chicks.

Honestly, it's really hard to persist in spite of failure in real life.

and there is this.

sometimes we really are our own worst enemy...

 

[Arsen]

Horribly written article. Didn't even list any factor remotely interesting from the source of information. Just heresay bullshit.