Remain Calm. Be Kind: Effects of Relaxing Video Games on Aggressive and Prosocial Behaviour (2011)
Some studies suggest there may be a link between violent video games and aggressive behaviour. The purpose of this research by the Ohio State University (USA) was to find out if 'relaxing' video games would have the opposite effect.
The researchers conducted two experiments in which participants played either a 'relaxing', 'neutral' or 'violent' video game. In total, 266 university students participated in the experiments.
The results showed that participants who played a violent video game were more aggressive than those who played neutral or relaxing games, and participants who played a neutral game were more aggressive than those who played a relaxing game. The study also found evidence to suggest that the relaxing video game made people more sociable and kind to others.
Read more about the research in this article on the eurekalert website
