From Virtual Racing Games To Aggressive Driving
Psychologists have taken the “media priming” effects of popular video console and PC-based games on the road, finding that virtual racing seems to lead to aggressive driving and a propensity for risk taking.
Extending prior findings on how aggressive virtual-shooter games increase aggression-related thoughts, feelings and behaviors, researchers found that of 198 men and women, those who play more virtual car-racing games were more likely to report that they drive aggressively and get in accidents. Less frequent virtual racing was associated with more cautious driving.
The studies make both theoretical and practical contributions. First, the results support social-cognitive explanations of media priming effects, in which people built up mental models – in this case, of aggressive thoughts and feelings – easily triggered by a learned stimulus. That inner aggression is then the starting point for aggressive behaviors.
The authors also showed that “positively framed” (the games are depicted as exciting and fun; they’re also very popular) risky media content activates thoughts and feelings of arousal and excitement that are linked to increased risk taking.
Given that children start playing these games on average at age 10 (based on previous research by co-author Jörg Kubitzki), the researchers are concerned that racing games may instill risk-taking attitudes that lead to unsafe driving when children grow up and get behind the wheel.