title: Violent video game players and non-players differ on facial emotion recognition.
abstract: Violent video game playing has been associated with both positive and negative effects on cognition. We examined whether playing two or more hours of violent video games a day, compared to not playing video games, was associated with a different pattern of recognition of five facial emotions, while controlling for general perceptual and cognitive differences that might also occur. Undergraduate students were categorized as violent video game players (n = 83) or non-gamers (n = 69) and completed a facial recognition task, consisting of an emotion recognition condition and a control condition of gender recognition. Additionally, participants completed questionnaires assessing their video game and media consumption, aggression, and mood. Violent video game players recognized fearful faces both more accurately and quickly and disgusted faces less accurately than non-gamers. Desensitization to violence, constant exposure to fear and anxiety during game playing, and the habituation to unpleasant stimuli, are possible mechanisms that could explain these results. Future research should evaluate the effects of violent video game playing on emotion processing and social cognition more broadly.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors: Ruth L
authors: RL
authors: Diaz
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors: Ulric
authors: U
authors: Wong
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors: David C
authors: DC
authors: Hodgins
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors: Carina G
authors: CG
authors: Chiu
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors: Vina M
authors: VM
authors: Goghari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cognition; emotions; facial recognition; social cognition; video games; violence