Shoot at first sight! First person shooter players display reduced reaction time and compromised inhibitory control in comparison to other video game players

Deleuze, J, Christiaens, M, Nuyens, F ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8125-5229 and Billieux, J, 2017. Shoot at first sight! First person shooter players display reduced reaction time and compromised inhibitory control in comparison to other video game players. Computers in Human Behavior, 72, pp. 570-576. ISSN 0747-5632

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Abstract

Studies have shown that regular video game use might improve cognitive and social skills. In contrast, other studies have documented the negative outcomes of excessive gaming vis-à-vis health and socioprofessional spheres. Both positive and negative outcomes of video game use were linked to their structural characteristics (i.e., features that make the game appealing or are inducements for all gamers to keep playing regularly). The current study tested whether active video gamers from main genres (massively multiplayer online role-playing games, online first person shooter, multiplayer online battle arena) differed in a laboratory task that measured inhibitory control. Eighty-one gamers performed the Hybrid-Stop Task, assessing restraint (go/no-go trials) and cancellation (stop-signal trials) processes of a prepotent response. They completed additional self-reported questionnaires measuring demographics, problematic video game use, impulsivity traits, and depressive symptoms. Results showed that when confounding variables were controlled for, participants who favored online first person shooter were characterized by accelerated motor responses yet reduced abilities to cancel a prepotent response. No differences between groups were identified regarding the restraint process. The findings of this pilot study might have clear implications for video gaming research by supporting the critical importance of distinguishing between video game genres when considering their specific potential benefits and detrimental effects.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Computers in Human Behavior
Creators:	Deleuze, J., Christiaens, M., Nuyens, F. and Billieux, J.
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date:	July 2017
Volume:	72
ISSN:	0747-5632
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.027 DOI S0747563217301000 Publisher Item Identifier 1242573 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	03 Mar 2020 13:51
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2020 13:51
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39358

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