This study examined adolescents' attitudes about video games along with their self-reported play frequency. Ninth and eleventh grade students (N = 361), approximately evenly divided by grade and gender, were surveyed about whether video games have stereotypic images, involve harmful consequences or affect one's attitudes, whether game playing should be regulated by parents or the government, an...

The authors review recent research that reveals how today’s video games instantiate naturally and effectively many principles psychologists, neuroscientists, and educators believe critical for learning. A large body of research exists showing that the effects of these games are much broader. In fact, some types of commercial games have been proven to enhance basic perceptual and cognitive skill...

In this study, the authors evaluated the psychophysiological effects of video games on users. Although video games affect users in various ways, this study focused on the shortterm and direct effects. In an experiment, subjects played five kinds of video games on portable game machines for fifteen minutes. While each subject played a game, the authors measured the potential skin reaction during...

The increasing influence of technology on sports and games is examined and the widespread popularity of video and computer games is identified as an opportunity for sport and exercise psychologists. Modern video and computer games can involve considerable physical activity and social competition and are thus a suitable subject for the application of sport psychology theories and intervention me...

The present studies investigated why video racing games increase players' risk-taking inclinations. Four studies reveal that playing video racing games increases risk taking in a subsequent simulated road traffic situation, as well as risk-promoting cognitions and emotions, blood pressure, sensation seeking, and attitudes toward reckless driving. Study 1 ruled out the role of experimental deman...

Experiencing social identity threat from scientific findings can lead people to cognitively devalue the respective findings. Three studies examined whether potentially threatening scientific findings motivate group members to take action against the respective findings by publicly discrediting them on the Web. Results show that strongly (vs. weakly) identified group members (i.e., people who id...

OBJECTIVES Using a prospective design, this research examined supervision of young elementary-school children at home and how this relates to child injury, parent permissiveness, and children's risk-taking propensity. METHODS Mothers reported children's history of injuries and recorded home supervision over a 2-month interval on a weekly basis. Children independently completed diaries about d...

OBJECTIVE Using a mixed model design, this study examined the effects of interactive versus passive distraction on healthy preschool-aged children's cold pressor pain tolerance. METHODS Sixty-one children aged 3-5 years were randomly assigned to one of the following: interactive distraction, passive distraction, or no distraction control. Participants underwent a baseline cold pressor trial f...